Abstract
Spontaneous edible plants have an old history of use in popular traditions all around the world, and the rediscovery of these species could also be useful for the search of new drugs. Chenopodium album L. (Amaranthaceae) and Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. (Brassicaceae) are two annual plants traditionally used both as food and herbal remedies against inflammatory disorders. In this work, the potential anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities of these plant species have been investigated, together with their antioxidant potential. The phytochemical composition was assessed as well by means of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The antioxidant properties were assessed using the DPPH and β-carotene bleaching test. The ability of extracts to protect against lipid peroxidation was also examined in rat-liver microsomal membranes. All the samples showed a preservation of antioxidant activity up to 60 min. A significant inhibitory activity on the production of the pro-inflammatory mediator nitric oxide was induced in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells by the dichloromethane fraction of C. album extract, with an IC50 value equal to 81.7 ± 0.9 μg/mL. The same sample showed also a concentration-dependent anti-denaturation effect on heat-treated bovine serum albumin (IC50 = 975.6 ± 5.5 μg/mL), even if the best in vitro anti-arthritic activity was observed for the dichloromethane fraction of S. officinale extract, with an IC50 value of 680.9 ± 13.2 μg/mL.
Highlights
Chenopodium album L. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as pigweed, is an annual herb growing widely in open habitats such as roadsides and riverbanks [1]
A fraction of each crude extract was successively extracted with solvents with different polarity, n-hexane, dichloromethane (1.6% and 2.2, for C. album and S. officinale, respectively), and ethyl acetate (0.3%)
Herbal remedies and dietary plants used in traditional medicine could be a promising source of new effective drugs [42,43]
Summary
Chenopodium album L. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as pigweed, is an annual herb growing widely in open habitats such as roadsides and riverbanks [1]. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as pigweed, is an annual herb growing widely in open habitats such as roadsides and riverbanks [1]. This plant was used in folk medicine as antihelmintic, laxative, as a blood purifier, and it was used for the treatment of hepatic disorders, intestinal ulcers, and burns [2]. (synonym Erysimum officinale L., Brassicaceae) is an annual plant present in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It is commonly called hedge mustard, but is known as “singer’s plant”, because of its traditional use in vocal tract diseases: Flowers and leaves
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