Investigation of anti-inflammatory activity of complex herbal oil extract in vitro and in vivo

Known from ancient China and India by their therapeutic qualities Boswellia serrata Roxb. and Curcuma longa L. now is an object of study of many scientists. Turmeric extract shows strong antioxidant activity and can inhibit COX enzymatic activity [1]. In one's turn, boswellic components inhibit 5-LOX activity [2] and NF-kB transcription factor [3]. As a result two perspective therapeutic nature substances work by different mechanisms of action and in sum can show synergistic effect. So we pooled dry extract of B. serrata resign (contented 85% of boswelic acids in sum) with oil extract of C. longa roots in ratio 1/9. This product was named as BsCl. Using of mononuclear cells of healthy donor's blood we showed that BsCl (125 mkg/mL) had an ability to inhibit LPS-inducible production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β) on 40–50%. BsCl showed some antiradical activity: it had 0.15±0.004 of trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity in relation to HO^·. More effective BsCl was in relation to LOO°: 2.6 mkg/mL of BsCl decreased MDA concentration in blood plasma in 2.5 times. Using model of adjuvant arthritis on Wistar rats we showed high anti-inflammatory action of BsCl in vivo. 300mg/kg of BsCl effectively and comparable by force with voltaren (8mg/kg) and prednisolon (10mg/kg) decreased edema, temperature and ulcer formation on infected rat paws, normalized biochemical indexes (ESR, level of fibrinogen, sialic acids and leukocytes in blood) and decreased TNFα level in blood plasma to zero. Thus we determined high anti-inflammatory action of BsCl not only in vitro but in vivo too.

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