Testing the Anti-inflammatory Activity of Sri Lankan traditional medicine pill using albumin denaturation method

Abstract

Inflammation is a useful protective mechanism in response to infections and injuries. It attempts to remove the initial causes of tissue damages by inactivating and destroying them. Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids were commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation when it is at an undesirable level. However, few numbers of studies have been conducted to evaluate those anti-inflammatory activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the albumin heat denaturalization inhibition activity of a Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine pill as an indirect measure of anti-inflammation. Aloe vera, Centella asiatica (Asiatic pennywort) and Strychnos potatorum (Clearing nut) are the ingredients of the pill. Concentration gradient from 1000 μg/ml to 0.02 μg/ml were prepared using egg albumin and phosphate buffer saline. The pill at different concentrations was incubated in controlled experimental conditions and the absorbance was measured to assess level of albumin denaturation. One NSAID (Ibuprofen) and one steroid (Prednisolone) were used as the reference drugs. The percentage inhibition of protein denaturation at each concentration was calculated by using the formula of (Vt / Vc - 1) x 100% where, Vt = absorbance of test sample and Vc = absorbance of control. The highest inhibition rate of egg albumin denaturation (46.7%) showed in 200 μg/ml concentration while Prednisolone and Ibuprofen had 2.5% and 24.6% inhibition rate respectively in the same concentration. Less than 35% inhibition rate of egg albumin denaturation showed in all other concentrations lower than 200 μg/ml (0.1 μg/ml – 100 μg/ml) of this traditional pill. However, the inhibition rates of these concentrations were not significantly difference with reference drugs. In addition, Traditional pill had 28.3% of inhibited rate of egg albumin denaturation in 1000 μg/ml concentration while Prednisolone and Ibuprofen showed low inhibition rates compared to traditional pill (3.4% and 13.8% respectively) in this concentration. Present study identified that 200 μg/ml of the tested Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine pill showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity against the denaturation of protein. Furthermore, the effect against albumin denaturation in high concentration Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine pill (200 μg/ml and 1000 μg/ml) was significantly larger than reference drugs.