COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF IN VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF DIFFERENT HERBAL EXTRACTS

In Ayurveda, many natural plant compounds are used to inhibit inflammatory pathways for centuries with fewer side effects. Inflammation is a defense mechanism that enables the body to protect itself against infection, burn, toxic chemical allergens or any other harmful stimuli. Denaturation of protein causes production of auto-antigens in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and diabetes which are conditions of inflammation. Hence, by inhibition of protein denaturation, inflammatory activity can also be inhibited. Egg albumin method provides a cheap alternative method of testing the anti-inflammatory activity of herbal medicine. Hence in the present study different aqueous extracts, from plants- Lantana camara (leaf), Tagetes erecta (flower), Azardirachta indica (leaf) and Mutingia calabura (leaf) and Hydroalcoholic extract from Calotropis procera (leaf) were prepared and evaluated for presence of various phytochemicals and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Aqueous extract of Lantana camara showed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, Tannins, phenols, flavonoids and glycosides. Aqueous extract of Azardirachta indica exhibited the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, alkaloids, Tannins, phenols and glycosides whereas Mutinga calabura, Tagetes erecta and Calotropis procera were reported to contain all these phytoconstituents. In the present investigation, two types of drugs-NSAID-Ibuprofen and steroid- Prednisolone were used as reference. Concluding the results, among all the extracts tested for activity the highest % inhibition rates were observed for Neem extracts followed by Calotropis and Marigold at a concentration of 1000μg/ml. Extracts exhibited % inhibition in a dose dependent manner. The incorporation of these three extracts in the polyherbal formulation could be a novel treatment strategy for various inflammatory ailments.