Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of Hilleria latifolia and Laportea ovalifolia

Hilleria latifolia (Lam.) H. Walt. and Laportea ovalifolia (Schumach.) Chew are herbs used for treatment of rheumatism, boils, skin diseases and as haemostatic on wounds [1, 2].

We investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of methanol leaf and root extracts of H. latifolia (HLML and HLMR respectively) and methanol leaf extract of L. ovalifolia (LOML).

DPPH free radical scavenging activity, total phenol and antioxidant content assays were employed to determine antioxidant activity of extracts. Acute anti-inflammatory activity of extracts (30, 100, 300 mg/kg) was assessed using the carragenan induced paw oedema in rats [3].

HLML, LOML, HLMR and α-tocopherol had IC₅₀ values of 0.299, 0.178, 0.306 and 0.01886 mg/mL, respectively. The total phenolic and antioxidant content of the extracts were concentration dependent. Total phenol content of HLML, LOML and HLMR were 103.0 ± 1.335, 56.75 ± 0.3220 and 91.32 ± 4.258 mg tannic acid equivalent per gram of extracts, respectively. Total antioxidant capacity of HLML, LOML and HLMR were 410.4 ± 4.732, 337.6 ± 6.961 and 408.0 ± 18.70 mg α-tocopherol equivalent per gram of extracts, respectively. All extracts significantly reduced paw oedema in prophylaxis and therapeutic models. LOML 300 and 100 mg/kg (p < 0.0001), 30 mg/kg (p < 0.001); HLML 300 and 30 mg/kg (p < 0.0005) and (p < 0.005), respectively; HLMR 300 and 100 mg/kg (p < 0.0001), 30 mg/kg (p < 0.01) (Figure 1).

HLML, LOML and HLMR exhibited antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

References:

[1] Mshana et al. Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia 2000

[2] Bouch Laportea ovalifolia (Schumach.) Chew. (eds) Porta Press, London. 2004; 456

[3] Amponsah et al. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ethanolic stem bark extract of Arthocarpus altilis. Der Pharmacia Lettre, 2014; 6: 211 – 217