Constituents of Plants Growing in Qatar XVII Anti-Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Activities of Extracts of Thirty Indigenous Species

Abstract

Thirty plants, indigenous to Qatar, were extracted separately with hexane, chloroform and ethanol. The dried extracts were examined for potential anti-inflammatory activities both in vitro by their ability to inhibit agonist-induced platelet aggregation and in vivo by a topical antierythema test. The same extracts were also tested for cytotoxicity to mononuclear cells. Fourteen extracts were found to exhibit significant antiaggregatory activity when DOP (Phorbol ester) was used as agonist in human platelets, five extracts inhibited PAF-acether induced rabbit platelet aggregation and four extracts inhibited ADP-induced aggregation of human platelets. Three plant extracts demonstrated a significant inhibition of phorbol ester-induced erythema of mouse skin in vivo. An in vitro cytotoxicity test showed that twenty-four of the species investigated exhibited significant toxic effects on human mono-nuclear cells at a dose of 5 μg dry weight of extract/ml.