Abstract
Medicinal plants have been used as a source of effective and safe alternative therapeutic agents for various ailments including inflammation. In fact, the aim of this study is to assess the topical anti-inflammatory and antioxidative potential effects of Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin), Linum usitatissimum (linseed), and Opuntia ficus indica (prickly pear) oils on acute inflammation using carrageenan-induced paw edema model. The study was conducted on 36 rats splitted in 6 groups: a normal control group and 5 carrageenan-treated groups (1%), each treated with either a normal saline, the reference drug (“Inflocine®” 2 mg/paw), pumpkin, linseed, or prickly pear oils (25 μl/paw). The response to these treatments was mainly assessed by the measuring of edema paw size, hematological and biochemical analysis, oxidative stress testing, and histological study. All the studied seed oils especially prickly pear oil proved to be efficient in treating acute inflammation. The oil-treated groups revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the clinical signs of inflammation, hematological parameters (white blood cells and platelets), concentrations of CRP and fibrinogen, and congestion compared to the normal saline-treated group. The results also showed that the tested oils, endowed with a radical scavenging ability, could significantly increase the activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx in carrageenan-treated skin by reducing the lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation (TBARS, AOPP). The anti-inflammatory effect of the tested oils was closely related to both their antioxidant properties as well as their bioactive compounds (polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, and phytosterols). For the first time, the findings of the current study highlight the “in vivo” anti-inflammatory property of pumpkin, linseed, and prickly pear oils on carrageenan-induced acute inflammation by regulating inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress markers.
Highlights
The worldwide rise of inflammatory diseases has made them to become a global emergency
The evolution size of the edema of each studied group was monitored during 5 hours after carrageenan injection
The injection of the carrageenan at the front part of the right paw led to an increase in the paw thickness
Summary
The worldwide rise of inflammatory diseases has made them to become a global emergency. The inflammation which underlies almost every disease process has been shown to cause many common diseases. Persistent and uncontrolled inflammation leads to the development of several chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis [2]. It behooves researchers to develop effective antiinflammatory treatments to control acute inflammation using medicinal plants that have been served as a source of effective and safe alternative therapeutic agents for various ailments including inflammation [3]. The Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin), Linum usitatissimum (linseed), and Opuntia ficus indica (prickly pear), that have prominent extracted seed oils, are studied as a possible antiinflammatory treatment. The inflammatory process induces oxidative stress and reduces cellular antioxidant capacity [4]. The current study aimed at assessing and reporting the “in vivo” anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities
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