Anorue Eleazar Chukwuemeka, Joshua Parker Elijah, Asogwa Onyinyechi Chinwedu
Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Medical and Pharmacological Biochemistry Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Inflammopharmacology. 2025 Jun 5. doi: 10.1007/s10787-025-01781-3.
Inflammation is a critical factor in various chronic diseases, and the search for natural anti-inflammatory agents has gained attention. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory potential of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) leaf extract. A preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of bioactive compounds, with alkaloids (1.667 ± 0.004 mg/ml) and saponins (1.568 ± 0.001 mg/ml) as the most abundant. These compounds, along with flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, and steroids, are known for their pharmacological properties, including inflammation modulation. The study utilized various antioxidant assays, including DPPH, FRAP, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), which demonstrated significant radical scavenging activity, indicating the extract's potential to reduce oxidative stress-induced inflammation. The ethanol extract exhibited notable inhibition of protein denaturation, protease activity, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide scavenging, and phospholipase A (PLA) activity, supporting its anti-inflammatory potential. Molecular docking analysis revealed strong binding interactions between the plant's phytochemicals and key inflammatory proteins, with flavone, myricetin, and catechin displaying superior binding affinity compared to standard anti-inflammatory drugs like diclofenac and ibuprofen. These findings suggest that A. occidentale leaf extract possesses significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, likely due to its rich phytochemical composition. The extract's ability to inhibit key inflammatory pathways highlights its potential as a natural therapeutic agent for managing inflammation-related diseases such as arthritis, asthma, neuro-inflammation, and metabolic disorders. Further clinical studies are recommended to validate its efficacy and explore its potential integration into conventional medicine.
炎症是多种慢性疾病的关键因素,寻找天然抗炎剂已受到关注。本研究调查了腰果叶提取物的抗炎潜力。初步植物化学筛选显示存在生物活性化合物,其中生物碱(1.667±0.004毫克/毫升)和皂苷(1.568±0.001毫克/毫升)含量最为丰富。这些化合物以及黄酮类、酚类、萜类和甾体类化合物,因其药理特性(包括炎症调节)而闻名。该研究采用了多种抗氧化测定方法,包括DPPH、FRAP和总抗氧化能力(TAC),结果表明其具有显著的自由基清除活性,表明该提取物有潜力减轻氧化应激诱导的炎症。乙醇提取物对蛋白质变性、蛋白酶活性、脂质过氧化、一氧化氮清除和磷脂酶A(PLA)活性表现出显著抑制作用,支持了其抗炎潜力。分子对接分析表明,该植物的植物化学物质与关键炎症蛋白之间存在强烈的结合相互作用,与双氯芬酸和布洛芬等标准抗炎药物相比,黄酮、杨梅素和儿茶素表现出更高的结合亲和力。这些发现表明,腰果叶提取物具有显著的抗炎和抗氧化特性,这可能归因于其丰富的植物化学成分。该提取物抑制关键炎症途径的能力突出了其作为治疗关节炎、哮喘、神经炎症和代谢紊乱等炎症相关疾病的天然治疗剂的潜力。建议进一步开展临床研究以验证其疗效,并探索将其整合到传统医学中的潜力。
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