Pharmacological characterization of Cirsium ligulare Boiss. (Asteraceae) herb decoction

Abstract

Background/Aim. Data on phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of genus Cirsium Mill. (Asteraceae) are scarce. Some data suggest that decoctions or infusions prepared from these plants are used in folk medicine as tonics, particularly in inflammatory, liver and stomach diseases. So far there have been no pharmacological investigations related to Cirsium ligulare (C. ligulare) Boiss. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to estimate antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of aqueous extracts of C. ligulare herb prepared as 5% and 10% decoctions. Methods. Antioxidative activity was determined using the method of 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging. Investigations of anti-inflammatory (a model of systemic inflammatory response induced by endotoxin of Escherichia coli and carrageenaninduced rat paw oedema model for local inflammatory response), as well as gastroprotective effects (a model of stress-ulcer induced by absolute ethanol), were conducted in adult female Wistar rats that were given the aqueous extracts of C. ligulare herb per os. Indomethacin and ranitidine were used as reference drugs for evaluation of local anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective effects, respectively. Results. The results demonstrated that aqueous extracts of C. ligulare herb produced strong antioxidative activity, diminished body weight loss induced by endotoxin, significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema, and prevented the ulcerogenic action of absolute ethanol. Both anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of the extract tested were comparable to those of the reference drugs. Conclusion. Presented results justify the traditional use of C. ligulare herb decoctions and further phytochemical and pharmacological investigations are warranted.

Uvod/Cilj. Biljke roda Cirsium su hemijski i farmakološki nedovoljno ispitane. Tradicionalno se dekokti ili infuzi ovih biljaka koriste kao tonici, naročito kod zapaljenjskih procesa, kao i kod bolesti jetre i želuca. Vrsta Cirsium ligulare (C. ligulare) Boiss. do sada nije farmakološki ispitivana. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio da se proceni antioksidantna, antiinflamatorna i gastroprotektivna aktivnost vodenog ekstrakta herbe C. ligulare izrađenog kao 5% i 10% dekokt. Metode. Ispitivanje antioksidantne aktivnosti vršeno je testom neutralizacije 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radikala. Ispitivanje antiinflamatornog (model sistemskog inflamatornog odgovora indukovan endotoksinom bakterije Escherichia coli i karageninom-indukovani edem šape pacova kao model lokalne inflamcije), kao i gastroprotektivnog efekta (model ulkusa indukovanog apsolutim etanolom), sprovedeno je na odraslim ženkama pacova Wistar soja, kojima su per os dati vodeni ekstrakti herbe C. ligulare. Kao referentni lekovi prilikom ispitivanja lokalnog antiinflamatornog i gastroprotektivnog delovanja, primenjeni su indometacin i ranitidin, redom. Rezultati. Rezultati pokazuju da su ispitivani vodeni ekstrakti herbe C. ligulare ispoljili jaku antioksidantnu aktivnost, smanjili gubitak telesne mase indukovan endotoksinom, značajno redukovali karageninom indukovani edem šape pacova i spečili ulcerogeni efekat apsolutnog etanola. Antiinflamatorna i gastroprotektivna aktivnost ispitivanih ekstrakata bila je uporediva sa aktivnošću referentnih lekova. Zaključak. Dobijeni rezultati u značajnoj meri opravdavaju tradicionalnu primenu dekokta herbe C. ligulare, a planiraju se i dodatna hemijska i farmakološka ispitivanja ove droge.