Phytochemical Study and Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Ethanolic Extract of the Leaves and Stems of Melothria maderaspatana (Cucurbitaceae)

Abstract

Melothria maderaspatana is a plant used in traditional African medicine to treat several ailments. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves and stems of this plant. A phytochemical screening test was first performed to identify the presence or absence of certain families of secondary metabolites, which are generally responsible for the biological activity of plants. The rat paw inflammatory edema model, induced by injection of 1% carrageenan into the footpad, was used to assess inflammatory activity. Ethanolic extracts of the leaves and stems of Melothri a maderaspatana were used at doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. The phytochemical screening revealed that this plant is rich in the tested secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. After oral administration, the results showed that the different extracts significantly prevented (p < 0.05) carrageenan-induced rat leg edema. Indeed, a significant variation in the percentage of inflammatory edema of the leg was observed: 40.87% for the leaf extract and 23.43% for the stem extract (compared to 97.78% ± 4.29% when carrageenan alone was applied), after 5 hours of carrageenan injection at a dose of 30 mg/kg. For the 100 mg/kg dose, this percentage was estimated at 54.62% for the leaves and 33.2% for the stem extract after 5 hours of carrageenan injection. These results demonstrate that the plant possesses significant anti-inflammatory activity, which would justify its use in traditional African medicine for the prevention and treatment of inflammation.