The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of albumins from Crotalaria retusa seeds

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 2017-09, Vol.93, p.536-542
• Main Authors: Aragão, Diego Passos, da Silva Souza, Bruna, de Brito, Tarcisio Vieira, de Araújo Bastos Santana, Lucas, de Paiva Silva, Renata Mariana, de Oliveira, Ana Patrícia, da Cunha Pereira, Anna Carolina Toledo, Ferreira, Gustavo Portela, dos Reis Barbosa, André Luiz, de Oliveira, Jefferson Soares
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Albumins - pharmacology; Albumins - therapeutic use; Analgesics - pharmacology; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Cell Movement - drug effects; Chemical Fractionation; Chromatography, Affinity; Crotalaria - chemistry; Edema - drug therapy; Edema - pathology; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - metabolism; Formalin test; Hemagglutination - drug effects; Humans; Lectin; Lectins - pharmacology; Male; Mice; Myeloperoxidase; Paw edema; Peritonitis - drug therapy; Peritonitis - pathology; Plant proteins; Seeds - chemistry
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.078

[Display omitted] Seeds of Crotalaria retusa L. are used in popular medicine because of their pharmacological properties. The albumin fraction obtained from its seeds contains lectin, a protein known to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, albumins extracted from C. retusa were investigated for their anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects. The intraperitoneal administration of different doses of albumins (5, 10 or 20mg/kg) significantly inhibited the mice paw edema induced by carrageenan (maximum inhibition rate of 80.9% at four hours, 20mg/kg), and this event was followed by diminishing paw myeloperoxidase measurements. Albumins (20mg/kg) also inhibited neutrophil migration into the peritoneal cavity induced by carrageenan. However, no effect was observed in the dextran-induced paw edema and abdominal contortions induced by acetic acid. Moreover, albumins (20mg/kg) significantly reduced the second (inflammatory) phase of the licking time induced by formalin. The detection of heammaglutinating activity against human erythrocytes in albumins evidences the presence of lectin in seeds of C. retusa. Our data showed that seeds of C. retusa had anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties and such activities are probably due to the inhibitory effect on neutrophil migration of lectin present in albumins.