Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity properties of medicinal plants used for producing herbal products against hepatic diseases in Ghana

Abstract

Medicinal plants have become the option for management of liver diseases because of their availability, cost effectiveness and lesser side effects compared to pharmaceutical drugs. Various parts of plants including roots, leaves, stem, bark and seed have been reportedly used to treat liver diseases including jaundice, hepatitis, hepatosteatosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatobillary disorders and hepatocellular carcinoma. Phytochemicals exhibit anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of acidic polyhydroxyl groups in the phenols. These hydroxyl groups quench free radicals from oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur reactive species thereby inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrogenic processes. The objective of the study was to determine the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity properties of medicinal plants for the purpose of selecting more efficacious raw materials for herbal products. Ethanolic and methanolic extracts of 13 medicinal plants were test for level of total phenols, flavonoids, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reducing potential, ferric reducing (FRAP), total antioxidant binding capacity (ABTS), red cell antihemolysis assay and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity. Except for DPPH scavenging activity, there was significance of difference between the methanolic and ethanolic extracts, total phenols (p = 0.03), flavonoids (p = 0.024), FRAP (p = 0.02), ABTS (p = 0.00) and red cell hemolysis (p = 0.010). There was correlation between phytochemicals, phenols and flavonoids and antioxidant markers, DPPH, FRAP, ABTS and red cell hemolysis (p < 0.05). Syzygium aromaticum, Curcuma longa, Taraxacum officinalis and Moringa oleifera exhibited the highest inhibitory anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The study indicates that, phytochemical, antioxidant and inflammatory properties varied with the kind of plant, concentration of extract, extractant and polyphenol content. These properties should be evaluated in selecting materials for drug formulation.