Anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities of Satureja montana dry extract

Abstract

Introduction: Many chronic somatic and psychiatric diseases are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which have detrimental effects on human health. Aim: To investigate the in vitro antioxidant and in vivo immunomodulatory activities of Satureja montana dry extract. Material and methods: The in vitro antioxidant activity of Satureja montana dry extract was assessed using ORAC, HORAC, and electrochemical methods. Immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in acute and chronic stress models by measuring the serum levels of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in a cohort of 112 male 8-week-old Wistar rats. The rats were randomly divided into 7 groups for each of both stress models and then subjected to ELISA analysis (14 groups with 8 rats in each group). The rodents were gavaged with a dry extract of Satureja montana (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg), rosmarinic acid (15 mg/kg), and carvacrol (500 mg/kg) for 14 days and 60 days, respectively. Results: We demonstrated that, for all employed in vitro methods, the dried extract of Satureja montana exhibited considerable antioxidant activity. Satureja montana did not significantly lower serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, or IL-1β in either stress model as compared to the positive saline control group. On the other hand, in the acute stress model, a dose of 250 mg/kg of Satureja montana significantly decreased IL-6 in comparison to carvacrol and significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-6 in comparison to rosmarinic acid. Conclusion: Although Satureja montana dry extract has significant antioxidant activity in vitro, its influence on systemic inflammation is still unknown. Future research will look into how it affects serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.