Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cell Suspension Culture Extracts of Plukenetia carabiasiae

The genus <i>Plukenetia</i> includes lianas or vines with oleaginous seeds rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, proteins, and vitamin E, and the presence of flavonoids, steroids, and terpenoids has also been reported in leaves. Several species of <i>Plukenetia</i> have traditionally been cultivated in their native distribution areas, and their propagation is usually by seed. The aim of this work was to establish callus and cell suspension cultures of <i>P. carabiaseae</i>, an endemic species of Mexico, for the evaluation of the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of its extracts. Three light conditions were evaluated for the establishment of <i>P. carabiaseae</i> callus lines from leaf explants. Friable calluses obtained under constant light were used to initiate a cell suspension cultures in Gamborg basal (B5) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and kinetin (CIN), as growth regulators. After 35 days of cultivation, different polarity extracts from biomass were obtained, showing that the acetone extract had the highest antioxidant activity and a high total phenolic content (30.57 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight). The anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract, evaluated in murine macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharides, was dose-dependent, without cytotoxic effects. This is the first report of the establishment of <i>P. carabiasiae</i> cell suspension culture and demonstrates its potential as a biotechnological source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory metabolites.