Biomedical Applications of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro and In Vivo Approach

Abstract

In the current study, in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f. (crude extract and subfractions, i.e., n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), chloroform, n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous) were explored. Initially, extraction and fractionation of the selected medicinal plant were carried out, followed by phytochemical qualitative tests, which were mostly positive for all the extracts. EtOAc fraction possessed a significant amount of phenolic (79.2 ± 0.30 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (84.0 ± 0.39 mg QE/g) content. The EtOAc fraction of S. edelbergii exhibited appreciable antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) strains and significant zones of inhibition were observed against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus). However, it was found inactive against Candida Albicans and Fusarium oxysporum fungal strains. The chloroform fraction was the most effective with an IC50 value of 172 and 74 µg/mL against DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS assays, in comparison with standard ascorbic acid 59 and 63 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the EtOAc fraction displayed significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activity (54%) using carrageenan-induced assay and significant (55%) in vivo analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writing assay. In addition, nine known compounds, ursolic acid (UA), ovaul (OV), oleanolic acid (OA), β-sitosterol (BS), micromeric acid (MA), taraxasterol acetate (TA), 5,3′,4′-trihydroxy-7-methoxy flavone (FL-1), 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-6,3′-dimiethoxyflavone (FL-2) and 7-methoxy catechin (FL-3), were isolated from methanolic extract of S. edelbergii. These constituents have never been obtained from this source. The structures of all the isolated constituents were elucidated by spectroscopic means. In conclusion, the EtOAc fraction and all other fractions of S. edelbergii, in general, displayed a significant role as antibacterial, free radical scavenger, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents which may be due to the presence of these constituents and other flavonoids.

GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach

“…The use of herbs as a source of therapy started since the beginning of human civilizations and till date plays a key role to enhance clinical screening and is also effective in quality control to cope with several health complications [1]. Of the 32,000 documented plants, around 10% have therapeutic significance over the globe [2]. Medicinal plants and their chemical constituents provide the basis of phytomedicines viz antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, inflammation, and analgesic potentials [3].…”

“…Medicinal plants and their chemical constituents provide the basis of phytomedicines viz antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, inflammation, and analgesic potentials [3]. The market demands for herbal medications are regularly increasing and pharmaceutical companies have concerns regarding its global impact and natural therapeutic remedies which can increase the efficacy rate and potency in association with economical, affordable, less toxic, and effectiveness [2].…”

“…They are a rich source of phenolics and flavonoids which are an important class of antioxidants and directly inhibit bacterial growth and cause hindrance in their pathogenic activity [17]. Moreover, these oxidant compounds possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-diabetic capacities [2].…”

“…Such disorders can be treated with herbal-based therapy having the features to cure inflammation, pain, and regulate blood glucose levels [18]. Furthermore, the most recent advancement in pain remedies, scientists are still in the quest to find out safe and economical approaches to overcome the complication discussed earlier [2].…”

“…The fresh leaves are used in making green tea (kawa), and as a blood purifier, widely spread in the temperate and tropical mountains tails such as Europe, North America, and East Asia, and Pakistan. In Pakistan, this species is distributed over the tail of mountains in Swat, Kalam, and Chitral [2], which prefer to grow in habitats with moist loamy soil. The available literature lacks the chemical composition of the oil isolated from the n-hexane fraction of S. edelbergii; hence, the current study was focused to explore the chemical composition and highlight its role as aromatherapy by investigating it against the in vitro biological and in vivo pharmacological profiling to add scientific validity to the literature regarding the oil of S. edelbergii.…”