Benedict Ofori

Conference 2023 Presentation

Project title

Evaluation of Anti-inflammatory activities of extracts from Capparis erythrocarpos in Vivo

Authors and Affiliations

Benedict Ofori1,2, Kwabena Sarpong1,2, Stephen Antwi3

1. Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Accra-Ghana
2. West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Accra-Ghana
3. Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong-Ghana

Abstract

Background

Herbal medicine is the oldest kind of healthcare, having been practiced for decades in both developing and industrialized countries. Medicinal plants are utilized all around the world and are becoming increasingly important economically. The World Health Organization (WHO) elucidates traditional medicines as ‘‘the total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvements or treatment of physical and mental illness’’. The WHO notes, however, that ‘inappropriate use of traditional medicines or practices can have negative or dangerous effects and that future research is needed to ascertain the efficacy and safety of such practices and medicinal plants used by traditional medicine systems. The poor, around the world, have limited access to palliative care or pain relief. The global burden of autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic illnesses has grown significantly. Inflammatory diseases represent one of the greatest burdens of suffering and economic cost in the world. According to estimates, traditional medicine is used by 80 percent of patients in Africa. Pharmacologists have been focused on developing safe and effective anti-inflammatory drugs. The majority of the issues related to their use have been linked to the fact that numerous traditional and herbal treatments are classified in different nations as meals or dietary supplements. As a result, there is no need for evidence of the quality, efficacy, or safety of these herbal formulations before they are marketed. The active ingredient of the XB1001, XB1002, and XB1003 powdered extract is the root bark of Capparis erythrocarpos. C. erythrocarpos has medicinal properties and has been used over the years in traditional medicine to treat and manage numerous inflammatory and arthritic conditions. The fact that access to drugs meant for pain relief is limited in low-income countries means advanced studies should be done on home drugs meant for inflammation to close the gap.

Methods

The ethanolic extracts of the plant were screened for the presence of 10 phytochemicals. The Pierce BCA Protein Assay Kit was used for the determination of the protein concentration of the egg white that was used to induce inflammation. The rats were randomly selected and put in 6 groups. Egg white was sub-plantar injected into the right-hand paws of the rats to induce inflammation. The animals were treated with the three plant extracts obtained from the root bark, stem, and leaves of the plant. The control groups were treated with normal saline while the standard groups were treated with standard drugs indomethacin and celecoxib. Plethysmometer was used to measure the change in paw volume of the animals over the course of the experiment.

Results

The results of the phytochemical screening revealed the presence of reducing sugars and saponins. Alkaloids were present in only R.L.S (1:1:1) and phytosterols were found in R.L(1:1) and R.L.S (1:1:1). The estimated protein concentration was found to be 103.75 mg/ml. The control group had an observable increase in paw volume, which indicated that inflammation was induced during the 5 hours. The increase in paw volume for the control group peaked at the 1st hour and decreased gradually throughout the experiment, with minimal changes in the paw volumes. The 2nd and 3rd groups were treated with 20 mg/kg indomethacin and celecoxib. The anti-inflammatory activities of indomethacin and celecoxib were calculated to be 21.4% and 4.28%, respectively. The remaining 3 groups were treated with 2 dose levels of 200mg/kg plant extracts. R.L.S, R.L, and S.R.L had anti-inflammatory activities of 22.3%, 8.2%, and 12.07%, respectively.

Conclusions

Egg albumin-induced paw model in rats can be used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of herbs that might have potential anti-inflammatory activity. Herbal medications have potential anti-inflammatory activities and can be used to manage various inflammatory conditions if their efficacy and side effects are well studied. The three extracts all possessed anti-inflammatory activity with R.L.S having the highest anti-inflammatory activity. The results obtained from the study support literature reports about C. erythrocarpos possessing anti-inflammatory activity and hence can be used to manage various inflammatory conditions