Therapeutic potential of Polyalthia cerasoides stem bark extracts against oxidative stress and nociception

Polyalthia cerasoides [Source: Wikipedia]

   Annonaceae is an ecologically important tropical plant family of ca. 2500 species and 109 genera occurring in South East Asia, Malay archipelago, New Guinea, Pacific islands, Australia, India, Africa Madagascar, Neotropics and North America [http://annonaceae.myspecies.info/]

  Polyalthia cerasoides (Roxb.) Bedd. is a medium sized tree belonging to Annonaceae family which is widely distributed in almost all forests of Deccan India up to 3000 ft. In southern India, the plant is almost exclusively used for its edible fruits and seeds [B. C. Goudarshivananavar et al. 2015]. The stem bark of this plant is used as tonic to combat stress and pain by local medicinal practitioners and experimental studies have demonstrated its normalizing activity on brain neurotransmitters, moderate cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity in vitro. This gave an interest to investigate the pharmacological bioactivities of the Polyalthia cerasoides. Our study pictured that Ethyl acetate extract of P. cerasoides stem bark demonstrated a significant analgesic and anti‑inflammatory activity with ROS scavenging potential. This gave a strong scientific evidence for considering the P. cerasoides stem bark extracts as natural antioxidants targeting algesia and inflammation. therefore this concluded that P. cerasoides stem bark could be used as a therapeutic drug in oxidative stress induced pathological conditions.

ABSTRACT OF THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE

Background: Polyalthia cerasoides is a medicinal plant known for its ethnopharmacological importance. Despite this, investigation related to its therapeutic benefit is still

unexplored. 

Aim: To evaluate the stem bark extracts of Polyalthia cerasoides for pharmacological activities relating to inflammation, nociception and oxidative stress using in vivo

and in vitro models. 

Materials and Methods: Pet ether, ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions of the stem bark were evaluated for anti‑inflammatory activity by carrageenan‑induced hind paw edema in rats. Anti‑nociceptive activity in mice was assessed using thermally and chemically induced analgesic models. The free radical quenching potential of the extracts was initially analyzed using the in vitro DPPH photometric assay, Hydroxyl radical scavenging and Lipid Peroxidation assays. Then modulatory effect of the extracts on in vivo antioxidant system was evaluated by carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity and subsequent measurements of antioxidant enzymes such as Superoxide dismutase, Catalase and Peroxidase from the liver homogenate. 

Results: Among the tested fractions, ethyl acetate extract had substantially inhibited the inflammation by 68.5% that was induced by subcutaneous carrageenan injection whereas pet ether and chloroform extract showed only minimal inhibitory effect. Investigation of the anti‑nociceptive activity revealed that the ethyl acetate fractions had significantly repressed the algesia in both the analgesic experimental models. In vitro and in vivo individual antioxidant assays demonstrated that the ethyl acetate fraction has strong free radical quenching potential which also restores the endogenous hepatic enzymes.

Conclusion: The ethyl acetate fraction enriched with flavinoids and steroids from Polyalthia cerasoides stem bark has potent bioactivity to combat inflammation, ROS and pain. This needs further characterization for potential therapeutic applications.

KEYWORDS: Analgesia, anti‑inflamatory, carageenan, catalase, lipid peroxidation, nociception, reactive oxygen species

For further informations, kindly go the below links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26865738

FREE TEXT ARTICLE: http://www.ancientscienceoflife.org/text.asp?2015/35/2/70/171667