Published online May 7, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i17.2628
Peer-review started: November 19, 2022
First decision: February 1, 2023
Revised: March 12, 2023
Accepted: April 10, 2023
Article in press: April 10, 2023
Published online: May 7, 2023
Processing time: 168 Days and 9.5 Hours
Therapeutic activities of Lafoensia pacari (L. pacari) have been reported in folk medicine, and this plant has been used as an antifungal, an anti-ulcer, an antibacterial, an anti-inflammatory, a fever reducer, in the treatment of pneumonia, and in the treatment of stomach pain. Despite the common use of this plant, the mechanisms by which it achieves medicinal effects have not been elucidated.
L. pacari is a tree found in Brazil thought to have beneficial pharmacological properties, with its main bioactive compounds belonging to the flavonoid class. One of the most studied flavonoids found in this plant is ellagic acid, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. However, L. pacari contains numerous flavonoids, and these compounds may also have similar activity to or act synergistically with ellagic acid.
We aimed to evaluate the activity of keto-alcoholic extracts of L. pacari leaves and bark, which contain a significant amount of flavonoids, with respect to the improvement of symptoms related to inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g., inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, edema, and abdominal pain).
The methodology used in this study was based on protocols already well established in the scientific literature, and, when necessary, some modifications were made. All experiments were performed with a number of mice that allowed for statistical analysis of the data and were performed in duplicate or triplicate depending on statistical requirements.
Our results corroborated those described by other studies with respect to the beneficial effects of L. pacari extracts; however, to our knowledge, we are the first to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these extracts in a murine model of acute colitis. Antinociception/analgesia in this murine model were observed with respect to treatment with extracts derived from L. pacari leaves and bark.
Our findings suggest that keto-alcoholic extracts of L. pacari leaves and bark are beneficial for the reduction of symptoms related to inflammatory bowel disease. These effects are attributed to the decrease or inhibition of inflammation in the intestinal mucosa. Regarding pain, bioinformatics techniques indicated that ellagic acid alone is not responsible for these effects, since other flavonoids interact and inhibit with significant affinity cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme that produces pain mediators.
This study is part of a larger research project; follow-up experiments are planned using a rat model of chronic colitis, other antinociception tests. Future experiments will also investigate the histology of intestinal segments after induction and treatment of chronic colitis with L. pacari extracts.