Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Costus afer Ker Gawl. hexane leaf fraction in arthritic rat models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Costus afer Ker Gawl is an indigenous tropical African medicinal plant used as therapy in the treatment of inflammatory ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis. This study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the hexane fraction of C. afer leaves (CAHLF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-inflammatory effect of varying doses of CAHLF on carrageenan, arachidonic acid, and formaldehyde induced arthritis in male albino rats׳ models were investigated in order to study the acute inflammatory phase. Complete Freund׳s Adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis model was used to study the chronic inflammatory phase. Two known anti-inflammatory drugs, Diclofenac sodium (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID]) and prednisolone (glucocorticoid [steroidal drug]) were used as standards for comparison. Various biochemical indices viz. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), total protein (TP), globulin and albumin levels were assayed using spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS: Control animals in which arthritis have been induced using carrageenan, arachidonic acid, formaldehyde or CFA showed significant increases (P<0.05) in paw edema when compared with normal animals. Treatment of the arthritis induced rats with CAHLF significantly (P<0.05) suppressed the edema. in vivo antioxidant study showed that CAHLF treated animals had a significantly (P<0.05) elevated GSH level, SOD, CAT and GST activities while MDA levels were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the plasma, liver, kidney and brain. CAHLF treated rats had a significantly (P<0.05) reduced plasma AST, ALT and ALP. Plasma TP, globulin, TB levels were reduced while albumin levels were elevated in CAHLF treated animals. CONCLUSIONS: CAHLF possesses substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities against inflammatory diseases especially arthritis. It could be considered as a choice candidate in pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drug development.

Chemical constituents in n-butanol fractions of Castus afer ker Gawl leaf and stem.

AIM: This study was designed to investigate the bioactive compounds in Costus afer Ker Gawl, an indigenous African medicinal plant whose leaf and stem extracts are used in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, especially rheumatism and arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bioactive compounds present in the n-butanol fractions of C. afer leaf and stem were identified using qualitative phytochemical evaluation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analytical method, comparing the mass spectra of the identified compounds with those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology database library. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis detected alkaloids, saponins, diterpenes, triterpenes, phytosterol, phlobatannins, and tannins in both n-butanol fractions of C. afer leaf and stem. Phenols were detected in leaves alone while flavonoids were present in stem alone. GC/MS data showed that the bioactive compounds in n-butanol fraction of C. afer leaf were indolizine, 2-methoxy-4 vinylphenol, phytol, hexadecanoic acid-methyl ester, n-hexadecanoic acid, 9,12-octadecanoic acid-methyl ester, eicosane, cis-vaccenic acid and oleic acid while n-butanol fraction of C. afer stem contain benzofuran,2,3-dihydro,2-methoxy-4 vinylphenol, 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester, campesterol, stigmasterol, hexadecanoic acid-methyl ester, n-hexadecanoic acid, and cis-vaccenic acid. CONCLUSION: The bioactive compounds identified in the n-butanol fractions of C. afer leaves and stem may explain the folkloric use of C. afer plant in the treatment of chronic inflammatory and oxidative stress related diseases.