Background: Methanol extracts and alkaloid fractions of different parts of four plant species belonging to Solanaceae family and used in
Mexican traditional medicine were investigated for their total phenolic contents, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Materials and Methods: The total phenolic compounds of each extract was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while the
in
vitro radical scavenging activities of the extracts were assessed using the DPPH and ABTS radicals. The
in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was
determined using the TPA-induced mouse ear edema model.
Results: The methanol extracts contained the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds and also exhibited the best reducing power on the
DPPH and ABTS radicals, in a concentration-dependent fashion. However, the anti-inflammatory activity did not follow the same trend, as some
alkaloid fractions that showed low radical reducing power exhibited the strongest anti-inflammatory activity.
Conclusion: The methanol extract obtained from the flowers of
Nicotiana glauca
presented the best overall performance with the largest amount
of phenolic compounds (111 μg garlic acid equivalents/g of extract), the best antioxidant activity (94.80% inhibition of DPPH and 97.57% of
ABTS) and the highest anti-inflammatory activity (81.93% inhibition of the inflammation).
