BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF A COMPOSITE EXTRACT FROM THREE EDIBLE PLANTS

Chronic diseases with an inflammatory component are the major cause of mortality in the world. The treatment of inflammation is generally based on chemical drugs. Nutritionists recommend the use of food plants that might have antiinflammatory effects. So, the phenolic compounds, chemical composition, acute toxicity, in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities and pain-relieving activity of a recipe extract based on the leaves extract of three food plants (Ceiba pentandra, Ipomoea batatas and Spinacia oleracea) were evaluated. The results showed that the yield of extraction was 20.7 % and revealed the presence of polyphenols (821.6 mg/100 g) and flavonoids (99.8 mg/100 g). The chemical composition gave: proteins 0.023 %, lipids 0,011 %, ash 0.013 %, fibers 0.011 % and assimilables carbohydrates 0.026 %. The acute toxicity test did not cause any mortality, nor any sign of toxicity at the dose of 5000 mg/Kg/bw. In vitro anti-inflammatory test showed that the plants extract, at the concentrations of 150 and 250 µg/mL had an inhibitory effect, respectively of 65.63% and 86.97%. For in vivo anti-inflammatory test, at the doses of 400 and 800 mg/Kg/bw, the extract has an optimum inhibition of 79.95% and 53.62%, on a mice paw edema, at the fourth hour after injection. The pain test showed inhibitions of 94.74%; 98.25% and 100% at the respective doses of 300, 600 and 1200 mg/Kg/bw. The results therefore suggest that the recipe of the three food plants has an anti-inflammatory activity, certainly due to the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids.