Abstract

MONTEALEGRE MORENO, Paola Andrea  and  FRANCIS TURNER, Liliana. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action of Bauhinia kalbreyeri Harms in an acute intestinal inflammation model used in rats. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.4, pp. 343-359. ISSN 1028-4796.

Objective: to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts of leaves and bark from Bauhinia kalbreyeri Harms in an intestinal inflammation model applied to Wistar rats. Methods: the Wistar rats were induced acute intestinal inflammation by using indomethacin (15 mg/kg). The extracts were administered by gavage (40 mg/kg) for 7 days. The enzyme levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPX/L of blood) were measured, the rate of disease activity was estimated, and finally the lesions were macroscopically and microscopically characterized. Results: it was found that oral administration of the extracts has a modest effect on acute enteritis model induced by indomethacin, with concomitant decrease in the clinical parameters and inflammatory disease. Both the macroscopic and histological analysis of samples from the animals treated with extracts confirmed their beneficial effect on the indomethacin-induced acute enteritis model. This effect is attributed to the secondary metabolites in the plant since the experiment evidenced recovery of cytoarchitecture, lower degree of injury, reduced rate of disease activity, as well as stabilization of glutathione peroxidase levels that cause more viability of the collagen fibers, prevent cell damage and encourage DNA synthesis to start recovery from injury. Conclusions: this study seems to be one of the pioneers in elucidating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Bauhinia kalbreyeri in an in vivo model.

Keywords : Bauhinia kalbreyeri; antioxidant activity; anti-inflammatory activity; glutathione peroxidase; inflammatory intestinal disease; rats.

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