Modulatory Action of Phenolic-Enriched <i>Combretum paniculatum</i> Vent Ethanolic Extract on Oxidoinflammatory Anomalies in Experimental Animals

Abstract

Medicinal plants with favorable therapeutic effects have gained interest over conventional drugs in the treatment of oxidative stress and inflammatory-mediated diseases. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Combretum paniculatum ethanolic extract (CPEE) were investigated in this study using in vitro and in vivo analyses. The results of phytochemical screening, recorded in mg/100 g, revealed that CPEE is phenolic-rich and also contains a high abundance of alkaloids, reducing sugars, and flavonoids. Terpenoids and tannins were recorded in moderate quantities. Our in vitro analysis revealed that CPEE inhibited nitric oxide, phospholipase A2, and thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance activities, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 6.55, 361.1 and 2.28 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the in vivo study showed that the implantation of cotton pellets elicited increases in granuloma tissue formation and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) while decreasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the untreated groups compared to normal rats. Interestingly, the groups treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg of CPEE had decreased granuloma tissue, and MDA, with an increase in the activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH. These findings suggest that CPEE ameliorated chronic inflammatory-induced oxidative stress in the experimental animals. Thus, it could be applied as an effective remedy for the development of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Keywords

• antioxidant
• inflammation
• medicinal plants
• oxidative stress
• phenols and phytochemicals