Abstract
Background: Albizia species including A. gummifera have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of various conditions by many cultural groups. Apart from its anti-parasitic and antimicrobial activity associated with its use, Albizia gummifera have not been investigated for either its anti-inflammatory properties or anti-proliferative effect in vitro.Materials and Methods: Extracted acetone crude extract of plant material was tested for the presence of various secondary metabolites using chemical tests while the anti-proliferative effect against peripheral blood mononuclear were tested using the WST-1 assay. Nitric oxide production by RAW cell line exposed to extract was also tested using Griess assay as well as the production of interleukin- 2 in medium of cultured PMBC using an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.Results: Phytochemical testing of acetone leaf extracted was shown to be positive for flavonoids, saponins and tannins. The extract was shown to dose-dependently inhibited proliferation of mononuclear cells while promoting that of RAW cells (p<0.05). The production of IL-2 by mononuclear cells and nitric oxide release by RAW cells were inhibited and stimulated respectively (p<0.05) in both cell types. The extract was also shown to elicit significant anti- and pro-inflammatory potential at concentration above 20 and 40 μg/ml, in both cell types respectively.Conclusion: Further laboratory research is required to elucidate the anti- and pro-inflammatory biochemical pathways as shown by the in vitro immune-modulatory modalities of this plant species. It is also important to further identify bioactive entities of Albizia gummifera responsible for the observed activities.Key words: Albizia gummifera, cell proliferation, Interleukin-2, nitric oxide, phytochemistry.
Highlights
Albizia gummifera is a native African herb located in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Brazil - where it does not naturally grow
The effects of the extract on IL-2 production by PBMCs and nitric oxide production by RAW cells are shown in Figures 3 and 4 respectively
The RAW and PBMC cells were incubated with crude plant extracts of A. gummifera ranging from 5μg/ml to 160μg/ml for 72 hours
Summary
Albizia gummifera is a native African herb located in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Brazil - where it does not naturally grow. Albizia gummifera inhabits forests (low- or upland rain-forest) as well as open locations near forests. It is a 4.5 –30 m large deciduous tree, with branches apexing to a flat top. The various portions of A. gummifera exhibit various medicinal properties such as anti-parasitic (malaria and trypanosomiasis), antibacterial (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorhea, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) activities and for the relief of stomach aches (Kokwano, 1976; Orulla, 1996; Rukunga et al, 2007; Tefera et al, 2010). Apart from its anti-parasitic and antimicrobial activity associated with its use, Albizia gummifera have not been investigated for either its anti-inflammatory properties or anti-proliferative effect in vitro. Nitric oxide production by RAW cell line exposed to extract was tested using Griess assay as well as the production of interleukin- 2 in medium of cultured PMBC using an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit
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