Abstract
Background The stem bark decoction of Stemonocoleus micranthus Harms (Fabaceae) is most widely used traditionally as a remedy for various diseases such as malaria and boil. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of the methanol-dichloromethane extract (MDE) from the stem bark of the plant in rodents were evaluated. Methods The carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema, cotton pellet-induced granuloma in rat, and xylene-induced ear oedema in mice were used to study the anti-inflammatory activity of methanol-dichloromethane extract of Stemonocoleus micranthus (MDESm) (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg). The effects of MDESm (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression, neutrophil adhesion, carbon clearance, and haematological and biochemical parameters were carried out to study its immunomodulatory activity in mice. Result MDESm (100 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited carrageenan-induced oedema by 57.1% at 5th h posttreatment compared with control. At 100 mg/kg, p.o., MDESm significantly (p < 0.05) reduced cotton pellet-induced granuloma by 39.28% and nonsignificantly reduced xylene-induced ear oedema by 34.1%. Treatment with MDESm (100 and 400 mg/kg) nonsignificantly abolished the neutropenia caused by cyclophosphamide with a percentage neutrophil reduction of 0 and −14.86%, respectively, while MDESm (200 mg/kg) and levamisole (50 mg/kg) had a nonsignificant reduction in neutrophil count (10.16 and 31.40%), respectively, all compared to the distilled water-treated group with a neutrophil count of −9.82%. MDESm at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg increased phagocytic index by 0.0447 ± 0.00762 and 0.0466 ± 0.00703, respectively, although not significantly when compared to the control group with a value of 0.0226 ± 0.02117. There was a decrease in WBC and lymphocyte counts in MDESm- (200 mg/kg) treated group, suggesting immunosuppressive potential at this dose. MDESm caused a dose-dependent decrease in ALT and core liver enzymes, suggesting a hepatoprotective effect. The acute toxicity test revealed that MDESm is safe in mice with an oral lethal dose (LD50) of >5 g/kg. Conclusion The methanol-dichloromethane extract of Stemonocoleus micranthus Harms possesses mild anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities which may be more pronounced upon fractionation and purification. Therefore, more investigations are needed to explore these activities further.
Highlights
Inflammation is a broad term, but essentially it is the host defense reactions to tissue injury or infection caused by numerous stimuli such as chemicals, physical trauma as well as infectious agents
Carrageenan-Induced Rat Paw and Xylene-Induced Ear Oedema in Mice. e result of this test showed that methanol-dichloromethane extract of Stemonocoleus micranthus (MDESm) exhibited a non-dose-dependent rat paw oedema reduction with 100 mg/kg causing a significant (p < 0.05) oedema reduction from the 3rd hour up till the 5th hour in comparison with control (Table 2). e percentage oedema reduction at this dose is somehow comparable to that of ibuprofen at these hours even though the reduction caused by ibuprofen started from the 2nd hour
Preliminary screening for the presence of secondary metabolites in plant extract is an important step for quality control and standardization. is study has shown that MDESm is rich in active metabolites such as alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids as previously reported [11, 12], which may be responsible for its mild anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities
Summary
Inflammation is a broad term, but essentially it is the host defense reactions to tissue injury or infection caused by numerous stimuli such as chemicals, physical trauma as well as infectious agents. Inflammation is one the most insidious causes of many chronic and overlooked diseases; the use of anti-inflammatory drugs (such as steroids and/or nonsteroid drugs) for a long time has in many instances resulted in hormonal side effects and damage to the gastric lesions, kidney, and heart, thereby limiting their uses. Most of these drugs help the immune cells to self-regulate as well as to adjust immune responses to adaptive rather than maladaptive levels [4]. A wide variety of biologically active compounds have been sourced from medicinal plants and utilized magnificently either as pure compounds or as crude material for treating various human and animal disease conditions [6]
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