Comparative study of the anti-inflammatory effect and acute toxicity of Sacha Inchi oils (Plukenetia volubilis and Plukenetia huayllabambana) in mice

The physicochemical analysis showed that Sacha Inchi oil obtained from <i>P. huayllabambana</i> seeds contained 53% ω-3, whereas that obtained from <i>P. volubilis</i> presented 47%. The evaluation of cytotoxicity in culture of normal splenocytes demonstrated that both oils are non-cytotoxic, because they showed a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 48,561 mg/mL for <i>P. volubilis</i> and 50,695 mg/mL for <i>P. huayllabambana</i>, which, physiologically, are values impossible to achieve in cells. In the evaluation of acute toxicity (mean lethal dose, LD50) in C57 mice, <i>P. volubilis</i> obtained the value of 63,603 mg/kg, whereas <i>P. huayllabambana</i> obtained 74,638 mg/kg, which classifies both oils in the category of Relatively Harmless, that is, non-toxic for the models tested. Both oils demonstrated a statistically significant anti-inflammatory effect, with <i>P. huayllabambana</i> oil being the most effective, presenting a 62% percentage of inhibition of inflammation. We demonstrate the safety and potential anti-inflammatory activity of <i>Plukenetia</i> sp., which could serve as a basis for future research.