Hemorrhoid Therapy with Medicinal Plants: Astringency and Inhibition of Lipid Peroxidation as Key Factors

摘要

Free radicals are generated in ano-rectal diseases and stress process results in pain, inflammation, swelling, itching and tenderness. The present study investigates the benefit of astringent herbs in hemorrhoid therapy. Astringent herbs used locallyin the treatment of hemorrhoids [Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Amarantheceae), Adansonia digitata Linn. (Bombacaceae), Dialium guineense Willd (Leguminosae), Harungana madagascariensis, Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae), Newbouldia leavis Seem. (Bignoniaceae) and Spondias mombin Linn. (Anacardiaceae)] were subjected to assay. Astringency was measured as the amount of tannin precipitated by a standard protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) using ferric chloride blue chromophore at an absorbance maximum at 510 nm. The effects of these plant extracts on Scomber japonicum Houttuyn (Scombridae) lipid peroxidation was accessed by thiobarbituric acid reactivity method measured at UV 532 nm and expressed as MDA equivalent/mg of tissue. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were determined as gallic acid and rutin equivalents, respectively. Astringency of extracts was in the order of Spondias leaves>Dialium seeds>Dialium leaves>Newboldia leaves>Kigelia fruit>Spondias fruit>Kigelia bark>Harungana bark>Newboldia bark>Harungana leaves >Adansonia leaves>Achyranthes leaves. Astringency correlated positively with total phenols (r2 = 0.7944), inhibition of lipid peroxidation (r2 = 0.6596 with raw homogenate and 0.9220 with cooked homogenate), low correlation withflavonoid (r2 = 0.059) and no correlation between total phenol and flavonoid content (r2 = -0.0387). It is proposed that these astringent herbs accomplish haemorrhoid therapy by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and plugging up minute leaks and holes in theveins and capillaries thereby promoting vein elasticity and acting as vasoconstrictors in the perianal area.