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Evaluation of nitric oxide scavenging activity, In Vitro and Ex Vivo , of selected medicinal plants traditionally used in inflammatory diseases
Author(s) -
Basu Subhalakshmi,
Hazra Banasri
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.1971
Subject(s) - ex vivo , nitric oxide , traditional medicine , lantana camara , in vivo , sodium nitroprusside , pharmacology , in vitro , western blot , chemistry , population , nitric oxide synthase , medicinal plants , biochemistry , biology , medicine , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health , organic chemistry , gene
Steroidal and non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, despite their various side effects, are in great demand worldwide. Alternatively, herbal formulations provide relief to a large percentage of the population suffering from inflammatory diseases. Therefore, such practices need to be rationalized through a mechanistic approach. Thus, four traditional medicinal plants, namely Ventilago madraspatana Gaertn., Rubia cordifolia Linn., Lantana camara Linn. and Morinda citrifolia Linn. were selected for a study on the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO • ), a key mediator in the phenomenon of inflammation, signifying the presence of effective antiinflammatory constituents therein. Plant samples were extracted with different solvents for evaluation of their inhibitory activity on NO • produced in vitro from sodium nitroprusside, and in LPS‐activated murine peritoneal macrophages, ex vivo . Further, the inhibition of NO • synthesis was correlated with the reduction of iNOS protein expression through Western blot. Notable NO • scavenging activity was exhibited in vitro by some extracts of V. madraspatana , R. cordifolia and L. camara (IC 50 < 0.2 mg/mL). Most of them showed marked inhibition (60%–80%), ex vivo , at a dose of 80 µg/mL without appreciable cytotoxic effect on the cultured macrophages. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that the modulatory effect of the samples had occurred through suppression of iNOS protein. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.