Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Thunbergia laurifolia Linn. on experimental opisthorchiasis

Abstract

Thunbergia laurifolia Linn (Rang Chuet) possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as anticancer activities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of T. laurifolia in reducing inflammation from pathological changes in Syrian hamsters infected with the human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini. Hamster groups were also administered N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and treated with T. laurifolia. Light microscopic observation of histopathological changes, liver function tests for alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and kidney function tests for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were performed. Antioxidant effects of both fresh and dried Rang Chuet solutions were observed. Analysis of the histopathological changes showed anti-inflammatory properties, both in the case of O. viverrini infection or with NDMA administration, by reducing the aggregation of inflammatory cells surrounding the hepatic bile ducts as indicated by normal serum ALT, ALP, BUN and creatinine levels in treated Syrian hamsters. The present study found that fresh and dried Rang Chuet solutions clearly reduced the inflammatory cells in both O. viverrini-infected and NDMA-administered groups and was correlated with the total antioxidant capacity. These findings suggest that T. laurifolia possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and that its application may be useful for prevention of the inflammatory process, one of the risk factors of O. viverrini-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Garcinia mangostana extract in hamster opisthorchiasis

“…These results were consistent with a previous report showing that fingerroot reduced the number of inflammatory cells in hepatic tissue in hamsters subjected to O. viverrini infection and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) administration (Boonjaraspinyo et al, 2011). Similarly, a recent study (Wonkchalee et al, 2012) reported that T. laurifolia administered at 100 mg/kg/day demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in hamsters with opisthorchiasis.…”

“…Score Month (s) post infection and groups of experiment (1) Criteria for histological grading of hepatic inflammatory activity (modified from Boonjaraspinyo et al, 2011;Wonkchalee et al, 2012;Sriraj et al, 2013). Periportal or periseptal interface hepatitis (piecemeal necrosis), 0: none, 1: mild (focal, few portal areas), 2: mild/moderate (focal, most portal areas), 3: moderate (continuous around <50% of tracts or septa), 4: severe (continuous around >50% of tracts or septa).…”

“…Several previous studies have focused on the reduction of pathology from liver fluke infection by administering anthelmintic drugs or certain medicinal plants which may possibly prevent or retard CCA development (Mahavorasirikul et al, 2010;Plengsuriyakarn et al, 2012). Curcumin (Sriraj et al, 2009) and Thunbergia laurifolia (Wonkchalee et al, 2012) were reported to have anti-inflammatory effects in cases of animal opisthorchiasis and CCA.…”

Thunbergia laurifolia extract minimizes the adverse effects of toxicants by regulating P-glycoprotein activity, CYP450, and lipid metabolism gene expression in HepG2 cells

“…The extract of dried leaves, dried roots, fresh leaves, and bark of T. laurifolia can be effectively used as an antidote. The antidotal activity of T. laurifolia was used against pesticides, arsenic and strychnine poisonings (Tejasen and Thongthapp, 1980), and ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity (Pramyothin et al, 2005); its anti-inflammatory use (Wonkchalee et al, 2012) has also been reported. A variety of drugs and toxic chemicals are capable of generating free radicals in the body, which may cause many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and aging.…”

Authentication of the Thai medicinal plants sharing the same common name Rang Chuet: Thunbergia laurifolia, Crotalaria spectabilis, and Curcuma aff. amada by combined techniques of TLC, PCR-RFLP fingerprints, and antioxidant activities

“…seeds extract against carbon tetrachloride and aflatoxin B1 might results from its potent antioxidative properties 31 . Since several detoxifying effects of T. laurifolia extracts related with antioxidant properties including hepatoprotective properties 32 , neural protection against lead poisoning 5 , and antimutagen activity 33 have been recently reported, antioxidant assays of other 'Rang Chuet' plants were performed in this study.…”