Antiflammatory activity from Limonium brasiliense (Boiss.) Kuntze

Limonium brasiliense Kuntze (Plumbaginaceae) is a medicinal plant, known as „Guaycuru“ from southern Argentina. Infusion from the roots is popularly used in the treatment of hemorrhage, menstrual disorders, rheumatism and it is believed to have cardioprotective properties [1]

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antiflammatory activity of methanolic extract from roots of L. brasiliense and its major constituent, myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside, in vitro. [2], [3]

This extract was partitioned with different solvents of increasing polarity to obtain sub-extracts that were fractionated by silica gel column chromatography, for isolation and purification of the active compounds.

The fractions and isolated compounds have been tested in cultures cell lines. These were not cytotoxic against RAW 264.7 and HL60 cells lines.

Thus, these fractions and the isolated compound have been tested on inhibition of Nitric Oxide (NO) overproduction on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The best anti-inflammatory potency (40µg/ml=63% inhibition) was provided by a fraction coming from the ethyl acetate sub-extract. This fraction contains myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside. (IC50=13.29µM/ml)

Also, we investigated the antioxidant effects of these fractions and the isolated compound on inhibition of intracellular and extracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These have inhibited both ROS production. The results presented demonstrate that myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside displayed a typical antioxidant activity; it markedly inhibited extracellular and intracellular ROS production.

These results also support the claims of traditional medicine about the use of L. brasiliense roots in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Therefore antioxidative research should also be extended to in vivo models.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported financially by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET, PIP N°6056), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS, PGI 24/Q009), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCYT, PICT N°25775), Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window (EMECW, 2009–1796/001–001-ECW), Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT) and Xunta de Galicia, Spain. Murray A.P.is a research member of CONICET

References: [1] Murray AP et al. (2004) Z Naturforsch 59c: 477–480

[2] Leiro J et al. (2004)J Leukoc Biol 75: 1156–1165

[3] Orallo F et al. (2002) Br J Pharmacol 121: 1627–1636