Toxicological evaluation and anti-inflammatory activity of a golden gelatinous sorghum bran extract

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2013;77(4):697-705. doi: 10.1271/bbb.120731. Epub 2013 Apr 7.

Abstract

Golden gelatinous sorghum (GGS) is rich in phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. We investigated the toxicity and anti-inflammatory properties of a GGS extract. We observed no toxic effects after a daily dose of up to 5000 mg/kg body weight of the GGS extract administered orally to rats for 14 d. The exposure of mice ears to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) caused a marked increase in ear thickness, which was significantly inhibited by treating with the GGS extract; this inhibition of inflammatory response was clearly confirmed by a histological analysis. The TPA-induced mice ear edema model, indicated that treating with the GGS extract inhibited the expression levels of such inflammatory mediators as cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase. The nitric oxide level in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Raw264.7 cells in vitro was lower in the GGS extract-treated group than in the LPS-only treated group. These results suggest that sorghum would be a safe, nontoxic product, and that the GGS extract possessed significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / toxicity*
  • Blood Coagulation / drug effects
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Edema / chemically induced
  • Edema / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Gels
  • Hematologic Tests
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Plant Extracts / toxicity*
  • Rats
  • Sorghum / chemistry*
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / pharmacology
  • Toxicity Tests, Acute*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Gels
  • Plant Extracts
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate