Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Selected Fractions of <i>Parinari kerstingii</i> Leaf Extract

Abstract

In Nigeria, Parinari kerstingii, a member of the Chrysobalanaceae family, is frequently used as a medicinal plant and is  thought to have several biological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties of selected GC-MS bioactive constituent fractions of Parinari kerstingii leaf extract. Total  antioxidant capacity (TAC) and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays (NORSA) were used to measure the extract’s  antioxidant activity. In contrast, the fractions’ membrane stabilization potential and platelet aggregation inhibition properties were used to measure the extract’s in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. GC-MS characterizations of the crude  extract identified bioactive constituents responsible for these activities. The results of the GC-MS analysis revealed that  bioactive compounds with known antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, such as n-Hexadecanoic acid, phenol,  2,4-bis(1,1- dimethylethyl)-e.t.c. were found in the fractions. The extract significantly (p < 0.05) lowered radical- scavenging activities compared to the fractions at 100, 400, and 800 mg/ml concentrations. Avian (Chicken) erythrocyte  membrane was significantly (p< 0.05) protected by various doses (100–800 μg/ml) of extracts against rupture initiated by  heat and hypotonic solution (water). Also, platelet aggregation inhibition was exhibited when compared with  fractions. In the entire test, the fractions provided no similar order in strengths, indicating the likely presence of various  bioactive constituents for each evaluated biological activity. This preliminary in vitro investigation determined the  antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics of Parinari kerstingii leaf, which might be explored further in vivo for  the potential use of the plant’s isolates as sources of naturally derived anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules.