Abstract

TLC SEPARATION AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF FLAVONOIDS OF CISSUS INTEGRIFOLIA: A TRADITIONAL VEGETABLE USED AS RELISH IN RURAL ZIMBABWE

Luke Gwatidzo*, Tivakudze Gunda, Cleopas Machingauta and Pamhidzai Dzomba

Abstract

The study was concerned with evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids from Cissus integrifolia, a wild edible plant commonly consumed as relish in Zimbabwe. Thin layer chromatography was used to isolate flavonoids from ethanol and ethylacetate extracts of the plant. Ethanol and ethylacetate extracts gave three spots each which could be positively identified as flavonoids after spraying with 1% ethanolic aluminium chloride and viewing under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The flavonoids were scratched, dissolved in the respective solvents, filtered, recovered on the rotor vapour and used to make flavonoid concentrations in the range 200 to 800 mg/L. Anti-inflammatory activity of the flavonoids was evaluated by the inhibition of egg albumin denaturation and NO radical scavenging assays and compared with indomethacin and quercetin as standards. Flavonoids of ethyl acetate extract of Cissus integrifolia exhibited anti-inflammatory activity that ranged from 34.11 to 67.68% and 16.75 to 45.14% for egg albumin inhibition and NO radical scavenging assays, respectively. On the other hand, ethanol extract flavonoids exhibited inhibition of protein denaturation that ranged from 27.03 to 64.21% and NO radical scavenging activity that ranged from 49.42 to 68.04%. Generally, flavonoids isolated from ethyl acetate extract are better protein denaturation inhibitors than they are NO radical scavengers, whereas, those from ethanol extract are better NO radical scavengers than they are inhibitors of protein denaturation. This implies the flavonoids extracted by the different solvents have different anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore, Cissus integrifolia is a promising nutraceutical and potential source of anti-inflammatory agents.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity, egg albumin assay, NO radical scavenging assay, Cissus integrifolia, thin layer chromatography.