Cecropia pachystachya : A Species with Expressive In Vivo Topical Anti-Inflammatory and In Vitro Antioxidant Effects

• Published in: BioMed research international 2014-01, Vol.2014 (2014), p.1-10
• Main Authors: Pacheco, Natália Ramos, Pinto, Nícolas de Castro Campos, Mello da Silva, Josiane, Mendes, Renata de Freitas, Costa, Juliana de Carvalho da, Aragão, Danielle Maria de Oliveira, Castañon, Maria Christina Marques Nogueira, Scio, Elita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Administration, Topical; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-inflammatory drugs; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biomedical research; Biopsy; Cecropia; Cecropia (Plants); Cecropia Plant - chemistry; Colleges & universities; Croton; Dermatitis - drug therapy; Dermatitis - metabolism; Dermatitis - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Drug dosages; Ear Diseases - chemically induced; Ear Diseases - drug therapy; Ear Diseases - metabolism; Ear Diseases - pathology; Epidermis - metabolism; Epidermis - pathology; Free radicals; Health aspects; Laboratory animals; Male; Medicinal plants; Mice; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Skin
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/301294

Cecropia pachystachya is a species traditionally used in Brazil to treat inflammation. This work aims to evaluate the topical anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the methanolic extract of C. pachystachya (CPM) and to perform its chemical fingerprint by HPLC-DAD. The topical anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the mouse models of acute ear inflammation induced by croton oil, arachidonic acid, capsaicin, EPP, phenol, and chronic inflammation induced by multiple application of croton oil. The in vitro antioxidant effect of CPM was investigated using DPPH, reducing power, β-carotene bleaching, and TBARS assays. HPLC analysis was performed to quantify the antioxidant phenolics orientin, isoorientin, and chlorogenic acid previously identified in CPM. CPM exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect in the acute models, in some cases comparable to the reference drugs. Histopathological analysis showed a moderate chronic skin anti-inflammatory effect with decrease in vasodilation, edema, cell infiltration, and epidermal hyperproliferation. It also showed strong in vitro antioxidant activity. The contents of orientin, isoorientin, and chlorogenic acid were 66.5 ± 1.8, 118.8 ± 0.7, and 5.4 ± 0.2 µg/mg extract, respectively. The topical anti-inflammatory activity of CPM could be based on its antioxidant properties, although other effects are probably involved, including COX inhibition and other mechanisms.