Phytomedicine Plus (Feb 2024)
HPLC analysis and anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, healing and antidepressant properties of Anchusa italica Retz extracts
Abstract
Background: In traditional herbal medicine, Anchusa italica has sometimes been used to treat inflammatory diseases, wounds and sooth pain, but the scientific evidence supporting these uses is not solid. Given its traditional uses, we aim to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, healing and antidepressant pharmacological activities of root and leaf extracts from the A. italica. Methods: the phytochemical study was carried out by HPLC-MS analysis. The anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antidepressant activities were studied on male Wister rats, and healing activity on mal New Zealand rabbits. Extracts were administered orally using doses 200 and 400 mg/kg for anti-inflammatory activity, 400 mg/kg for analgesic activity, 200 mg/kg for antidepressant activity. Healing activity was studied using a cream containing 5 % of the extract topically. Results: The HPLC analysis found six phenolic compounds in the root extract and nine in the leaf extract. The anti-inflammatory test gave significant results (p < 0.001), at 400 and 200 mg/kg doses, the leaf extract recorded a percentage of inhibition of (82.89 % and 69.73 % respectively, while the root extract gave a percentage of inhibition of 73.67 % and 65.78 % respectively. The analgesic test also showed a significant (p < 0.001), the rats treated with the extract of the leaves have a number of abdominal contractions (11.33 ± 0.94) very close to that of reference drug aspirin (10.33 ± 0.47). In antidepressant activity, the immobility time recorded in rats treated with leaf extract was 81.86 ± 3.71 and 86.8 ± 4.65 s for root extract. The healing test showed that the root extract was effective (p < 0.05) for the treatment of the burns, after 20 days of treatment, the percentage of contraction (100 %) was recorded in the extracts 5 % and madecassol compared to the negative control 89.51 ± 4.08 %. Conclusion: These results confirm the plant's traditional use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, wounds and pain.
