Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential of Arbutus andrachne L.methanolic leaf extract in rats

摘要

Objective:To explore the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of methanolic leaf extract from Arbutus andrachne and its mechanism of action.Methods:Paw edema was induced by intraplantar(i.pl.)injection ofλ-carrageenan(1%w/v,100μL/paw)while pyrexia was evoked by intraperitoneal(i.p.)injection of 20% baker’s yeast(20 mL/kg body wt)in male Wistar rats.The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of Arbutus andrachne methanolic leaf extract were explored by injecting rats with different doses of the plant extract(150,300,and 600 mg/kg body wt,i.p.).Selective antagonists for transient receptor potential vanilloid-1(TRPV1),cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1),and alpha-2 adrenergic receptor(α2-AR)were used to unravel the extracts’mechanism of action.Blood samples were collected from the heart of rats to measure the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6)and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:The extract exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing paw thickness and IL-6 levels.In addition,yeast-evoked pyrexia was attenuated by the extract treatment via TRPV1 and CB1 receptors and a reduction in PGE2 levels.No significant effects were found for α2-AR.Moreover,the rats that received the plant extract demonstrated similar responses to the positive control group.Conclusions:Arbutus andrachne can be a good candidate for treating inflammation and pyrexia and should be further investigated.