Abstract
The aim of the present research was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of pumpkin seed oils (PSOs) of an Egyptian and European variety, in a rat model of adjuvant arthritis. Edema thickness, plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined as inflammatory biomarkers while malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed as indicative of oxidative stress. Chromosomal aberration, sperm shape abnormalities, and DNA fragmentations are cytogenetic parameters which aid in tracing inflammatory and oxidative activity. Phenolic contents and β-carotene were determined in PSOs. The results showed elevated ESR, plasma TNF-α, plasma MDA, liver cellular DNA fragmentation, bone marrow chromosomal aberration, sperm shape abnormalities with a reduction in plasma TAC and body weight gain in an adjuvant arthritis control compared to a healthy control. Administration of low and high doses of either Egyptian or European PSO improved all the aforementioned parameters with variable degrees.
Highlights
Oxidative stress and inflammation are the main causes of many chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative damage which accumulates during the life cycle, the radical-related damage affects DNA, proteins and lipids which have been proposed to play a key role in the development of arthritis
The results showed no significant chromosomal aberrations after treating normal animals with high doses of Egyptian or European pumpkin seed oils (PSOs) alone compared to the normal control
Summary
Oxidative stress and inflammation are the main causes of many chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Oxidative stress plays an important role in the initiation and progression of joint diseases (Knight, 2000). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative damage which accumulates during the life cycle, the radical-related damage affects DNA, proteins and lipids which have been proposed to play a key role in the development of arthritis. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissue with infiltration of macrophages and activated T cells. The pathogenesis of this disease is predominantly linked with the formation of free radicals at the site of inflammation. An excessive accumulation of ROS may cause cellular oxidative damage to nucleic acids, proteins and chromosomal aberrations in the cells of several systems and that could occur in RA as reported previously (Al-Okbi et al, 2011)
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