Antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of crude leave extract and solvent fractions of Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex C.B.Clarke (Commelinaceae) leaves in murine model

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In the past, Ethiopian traditional medicine employed the leaves of the native Commelina latifolia Hochst. ex C.B. Clarke plant to treat wounds, pain, and malaria. Aim of the study: The crude extract and solvent fractions of C. latifolia Hochst. ex C.B. Clarke leaves were examined in the present investigation to determine their ability to have an antiinflammatory effect and provide an antinociceptive effect in animal models. Materials and methods: The leaves of C. latifolia were extracted with 80% methanol, and the CL crude extract was further fractionated with chloroform, pure methanol, and distilled water. The carrageenan-induced paw edema model was used to test the extracts' ability to reduce inflammation. The hotplate model and the acetic acid-induced writhing test on rodents were used to test the extracts' potential antinociceptive effect to reduce pain. Results: Inflammation was decreased by 64.59% with CL crude extract (400 mg/kg); 56.34% (400 mg/kg) of methanol fraction, 64.59% of aqueous fraction (400 mg/kg), and 38.27% of chloroform fraction in the carrageenan-induced inflammatory model. All extracts demonstrated a considerable lengthening of the nociception reaction time in the hot plate test, with a maximum antinociceptive effect of 78.98% (crude extract) and 71.65% (solvent fractions). At a dosage of 400 mg/kg, the natural C. latifolia crude extract and aqueous fraction demonstrated considerable antinociceptive effects against acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) during the writhing test (48.83% and 45.37than%, respectively). The current findings support Ethiopia's traditional user's assertions that the herb can alleviate inflammation and pain.

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Curcuma kwangsiensis and its bioactive terpenoids in vivo and in vitro

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

"Curcumae Radix", the dried rhizomes of Curcuma kwangsiensis documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia, has been traditionally used for the treatment of inflammatory and pain diseases, such as jaundice and red urine, cleaning the heart-fire and depression, arthralgia, and dysmenorrhea. However, according to literature surveys, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive studies of C. kwangsiensis have been seldom reported so far.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The current study focuses on the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of C. kwangsiensis and discovering the bioactive compounds for its traditional usages both in vivo and in vitro, which could provide scientific justification about its traditional use.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive assays of various layers (ME, EA, AQS) from C. kwangsiensis were achieved by carrageenan-induced paw edema and acetic acid-induced writhing animal models, respectively. The most bioactive part, EA layer was further phytochemically investigated by multiple step chromatography techniques. The structures of these isolates were unambiguously elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods, and comparison with corresponding data of the reported literature. Four major sesquiterpenoids (4, 6, 14, and 15) were achieved for their anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive assays by the two aforementioned animal models in vivo. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects via detecting inflammatory mediator releases (COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells induced by LPS.

RESULTS

The ME and EA layers significantly alleviated the paw edema caused by carrageenan and decreased the number of writhes induced by acetic acid at the dose of 200 and/or 100 mg/kg in comparison to the control group (p < 0.01/0.05), and the EA layer exhibited better activity than that of ME layer. Subsequent phytochemical investigation on EA layer of C. kwangsiensis exhibited that three new terpenoid compounds (1-3), identified as (12Z,14R)-7β-hydroxylabda-8(17),12-diene-14,15,16-triol (1), (12Z,14S)- 7β-hydroxlabda-8(17),12-diene-14,15,16-triol (2), and (4S)-hydroxy-(8)-methoxy-(5S)-(H)-guaia1(10),7(11)-dien-12,8-olide (3), together with twenty-two known analogs were isolated. Furthermore, four major sesquiterpenoids (4, 6, 14, and 15) significantly relieved the paw edema and number of writhes at 100 and/or 50 mg/kg (p < 0.05/0.01). Likewise, the majority of sesqui- and diterpenoids isolated could remarkably inhibited the secretion of inflammatory mediators (COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages cells at the concentration of 20 μg/mL, comparable to DXM used as the positive control. All the results suggested that EA layer from C. kwangsiensis possessed the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, and these sesqui- and diterpenoids could be the effective constituents responsible for relieving inflammation.

CONCLUSION

The present studies undoubtedly determined the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive material basis of C. kwangsiensis, including the EA layer and its precise components, which presented equivalent or better anti-inflammatory effects than that of positive control (ASP/DXM) in vivo and in vitro. These results not only would account for scientific knowledge for traditional use of C. kwangsiensis, but also provide credible theoretical foundation for the further development of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive agents.

Investigation of the anti-inflammatory and the analgesic effects of the extracts from Smilax ornata Lem. (Jamaican sarsaparilla) plant

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Smilax ornata Lem. is used in folklore medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic pain. This particular claim has never been scientifically validated before in this plant species and hence, it forms the reason for this investigation.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Smilax ornata Lem. possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties in Sprague-Dawley rats.

METHODS

The anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were investigated using carrageenan-induced paw oedema model and the tail-flick model respectively.

RESULTS

The methanol extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg) and the ethyl acetate extract (400 mg/kg) exhibited significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity when compared with that of their control groups (saline and vegetable oil respectively), with an onset of 150 min and a duration of 2.5 h. The methanol extract (200 mg/kg) exhibited significant (P < 0.05) analgesic activity, with an onset of 60 min and a duration of 2 h. Also, the methanol and the ethyl acetate extracts (400 mg/kg) exhibited significant (P < 0.05) analgesic activity when compared with that of their control groups (saline and vegetable oil respectively), with an onset of 30 min and a duration of 2.5 h.

CONCLUSION

The present study provided scientific justification that the extracts of Smilax ornata Lem. possess significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities.

The bioguided fractionation and pharmacological activity of an endemic Salix canariensis species

The present study was designed to confirm the wide traditional use of treating pain with Salix canariensis, an endemic species of the Macaronesian region. The active compounds were identified. Pharmacological activities were explored in experimental animals by acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin and Levy's tests, and bioactive compounds were identified after a bio-guided fractionation of the most active organic extract. S. canariensis extract, orally administrated at different doses, led to a significant reduction in writhing, caused a moderate decrease of formalin-induced pain and revealed an excellent dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract suggested the possible presence of pentacyclic triterpenes from oleanane and ursane series. These findings allow the conclusion that S. canariensis exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, documenting its traditional use in the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases.