Investigation of inhibitory potential against oxidative stress and inflammation of the fractionated extracts from Vernonia amygdalina leaves

Abstract

Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) is a commonly used remedy in Vietnamese traditional medicine. However, the number of bioactivity studies providing the scientific basis for its health-beneficial effects, such as inhibitory effects against oxidative stress and inflammation, is still limited. This study produced crude (methanol) and fractionated extracts (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, aqueous) from V. amygdalina leaves via solvent partitioning. The extracts’ total phenolic compound contents and anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and mouse models have been investigated. The results revealed that the ethyl acetate extract (LĐE) had significant phenolic compounds and exhibited the best anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In brief, LĐE possessed a strong DPPH free radical scavenging capacity of about 56.91% and a high value of total anti-oxidant capacity (389.06mg AAE/g). The protein inhibitory percentage of LĐE reached 83.37%, and the paw edema after 04 hours after carrageenan injection of the LĐE-treated group decreased 30.54% versus that of the control mice. These findings prove the health-beneficial effects of V. amygdalina extracts and their potential to develop new medicines for treating inflammation and oxidative stress-associated diseases.