Abstract
Cecropia pachystachya is a species traditionally used in Brazil to treat inflammation. This work aims to evaluate the topical anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the methanolic extract of C. pachystachya (CPM) and to perform its chemical fingerprint by HPLC-DAD. The topical anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the mouse models of acute ear inflammation induced by croton oil, arachidonic acid, capsaicin, EPP, phenol, and chronic inflammation induced by multiple application of croton oil. The in vitro antioxidant effect of CPM was investigated using DPPH, reducing power, β-carotene bleaching, and TBARS assays. HPLC analysis was performed to quantify the antioxidant phenolics orientin, isoorientin, and chlorogenic acid previously identified in CPM. CPM exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect in the acute models, in some cases comparable to the reference drugs. Histopathological analysis showed a moderate chronic skin anti-inflammatory effect with decrease in vasodilation, edema, cell infiltration, and epidermal hyperproliferation. It also showed strong in vitro antioxidant activity. The contents of orientin, isoorientin, and chlorogenic acid were 66.5 ± 1.8, 118.8 ± 0.7, and 5.4 ± 0.2 µg/mg extract, respectively. The topical anti-inflammatory activity of CPM could be based on its antioxidant properties, although other effects are probably involved, including COX inhibition and other mechanisms.
Highlights
A high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is proposed to contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with various inflammatory skin disorders [1, 2]
Previous work had shown that C. pachystachya produces chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin [7, 8], catechin, epicatechin, isoquercitrin, isovitexin, procyanidin B2 [8], sitosterol, α-amirin, and ursolic, pomolic, and oleanolic acids [9]
Reagents. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), β-carotene, linoleic acid, Tween 20, quercetin, rutin, ascorbic acid, orientin, isoorientin, chlorogenic acid, croton oil, arachidonic acid, capsaicin, ethyl-phenylpropiolate (EPP), phenol, indomethacin, and dexamethasone were purchased from Sigma
Summary
A high level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is proposed to contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with various inflammatory skin disorders [1, 2]. Several antiinflammatory drugs have recently been shown to have an antioxidant and/or radical scavenging mechanism as part of their activity [3, 4]. In this context, vegetal extracts with antioxidant effects have been established as a therapeutic approach for treating inflammation. Cecropia pachystachya Trecul (Cecropiaceae) is a fastgrowing tropical tree species of Central and South America and is abundant throughout Brazil. Previous work had shown that C. pachystachya produces chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin [7, 8], catechin, epicatechin, isoquercitrin, isovitexin, procyanidin B2 [8], sitosterol, α-amirin, and ursolic, pomolic, and oleanolic acids [9]
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