Effects of Juniperus phoenicea Hydroalcoholic Extract on Inflammatory Mediators and Oxidative Stress Markers in Carrageenan-Induced Paw Oedema in Mice

Abstract

Juniperus phoenicea (J. phoenicea) is a wild tree belonging to the Cupressaceae family, commonly used for the treatment of several disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effects of J. phoenicea hydroethanolic extract (EtOH-H₂OE) against oxidation, acute inflammation, and pain in mice models. For the purpose, chemical compounds of J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE were also analyzed by GC-MS. The J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE showed a potent antioxidant activity in vitro, thanks to its richness in phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Mice treated with EtOH-H₂OE (100 mg/kg BW) showed reduced paw oedema formation and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The evaluation of antioxidant enzyme activities in paw oedema tissue after five hours of carrageenan induction showed a significant increase (P < 0.05). Inflammatory biomarkers explorations of J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE-treated mice showed a restoration of the studied parameters to near-normal values. Furthermore, EtOH-H₂OE of J. phoenicea produced a significant reduction of the number of abdominal writhes (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent way. Phytochemical analysis of the J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE by GC-MS showed the presence of hexadecanoic and stearic acids known as anti-inflammatory and analgesic compounds. Our investigation provided evidence that J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE can effectively reduce the inflammation and pain in mice models.

Figure 1

Percentage (%) of oedema inhibition data in all groups. Values represent mean ± SD (n = 6) in each group. ∗ represents P < 0.05, ∗∗ represents P < 0.01, and ∗∗∗ represents P < 0.001; # represents P < 0.05, ## represents P < 0.01, and ### represents P < 0.001; ∗ compared to control group and # compared to Carr + DEX. Control: physiological water, Carr: carrageenan, Carr + J: carrageenan + J. phoenicea, EtOH-H₂OE, Carr + DEX: carrageenan + dexamethasone.

Figure 2

The representative photomicrographs of the skin showing the protective effects of J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE against carrageenan-induced inflammation in mice. Controls (a), mice treated with carrageenan (b), the combination of carrageenan and dexamethasone (c), and mice treated with the combination of carrageenan and J. phoenicea EtOH-H₂OE (d). Ep: epidermis, Der: dermis. ★: oedema. ↗: inflammatory cell.