Scientific Evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential of Macrotyloma uniflorum seeds extracts

Phytochemicals possessing the antioxidant properties naturally present in food attract a greater interest to healthcare researchers due to their desirable health effects on human health as they can be explored for protection against oxidative deterioration. Macrtotyloma uniflorum is a leguminous plant belonging to the family Fabaceae and commonly known as Horse gram. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of seeds of Macrotyloma uniflorum were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects using the scientific protocol on experimental rats. Extraction was carried out using the cold maceration method, and the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using a digital plethysmometer in the experimental rats injected with carrageenan to produce paw edema. Preliminary phytochemical studies confirmed the presence of various bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, glycosides, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, terpenoids, tannins, and phenolic compounds in both extracts while flavonoids were found only in ethanol extract. Both extracts of M. uniflorum seeds (200 mg/ml) significantly (p<0.01) reduced the paw edema volume induced by carrageenan. The ethanol extract of M. uniflorum seeds exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than water extract, that might be due to the presence of flavonoids in ethanol extract. The activity of the extracts was compared with diclofenac sodium (10mg/kg b.wt.) as a reference drug. From the results, it may be suggested that the antioxidative potential of phenolic constituents and flavonoids is the primary factors for the anti-inflammatory activity of M. uniflorum seeds extracts.