Anti-inflammatory evaluation and acute toxicity of three food supplements that contain Moussonia deppeana

Abstract

Objective: To identify the anti-inflammatory activity through two murine models and in the median Lethal Dose (LD₅₀) of three dietary supplements that contain Moussonia deppeana.

Methods: The anti-inflammatory activity of three dietary supplements (Cicatrisan/Gastricus^®, Gastinol^®, and Gastrovita^®) EtOH extracts was evaluated by TPA and by carrageenan murine models; also, median Lethal Dose (LD₅₀) was determined. Verbascoside was quantified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and the mixture of ursolic and oleanolic acids were identified in all supplements by TLC; however, none of these dietary supplements contain verbascoside.

Results: For the TPA model, Cicatrisan/Gastricus^® generated a notable effect with 38.24% inhibition. While in the carrageenan model, it also exhibited noteworthy anti-inflammatory activity of ear edema with 66.39% of paw edema inhibition at 150 mg/kg, followed by Gastinol^® and Gastrovita^® with ≈50% at 300 mg/kg. Finally, LD₅₀ was >2 g/kg for all supplements, when was administered intragastrically and Body Weight (BW) gain in mice was not altered after 14 days.

Conclusions: Of the three food supplements containing M. deppeana, only the EtOH extract from Cicatrisan/Gastricus^® formulation (tablets) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in both experimental models and the LD₅₀ was >2 g/kg.

Keywords: Acute inflammation; Food supplements; Herbal remedies; Mexican medicinal plants; Moussonia deppeana; Traditional medicine.