The Comparative Effect of Medicinal Herb Feverfew with that of a Synthetic Parthenolide to Assess the Expression of Inducible Cyclo-oxygenase and Anti-inflammatory Activity

Aims: This paper describes the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase and anti-inflammatory of medicinal herb feverfew with a synthetic parthenolide.

Study Design: In vivo model to study the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extract of T. parthenium and synthetic compound parthenolide.

Place and Duration of Study: Central Research Laboratory, K. S. Hegde Medical Academy, Derlakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, India between August 2015 and November 2015.

Methodology: The inhibitory effect of COX-1 and COX -2 were assessed in the serum of mice with the treated groups of aqueous and ethanolic extract of T. parthenium (100 mg/kg) and synthetic compound parthenoilde (4 mg/kg) using Cayman’s COX activity assay kit.

The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by Ethyl phenylpropiolate induced ear edema and carrageenan induced hind paw edema.

Results: The ability of the aqueous and ethanolic extract of T. parthenium (100 mg/kg) and synthetic compound parthenoilde (4 mg/kg) to inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) was significant when compared to control. T. parthenium leaf extracts and synthetic compound reduced the Ethyl phenylpropiolate induced ear edema and carrageenan induced hind paw edema respectively.

Conclusion: The result indicates that the inhibitory effect of aqueous and ethanolic extract of T. parthenium and synthetic compound parthenoilde anti-inflammatory activity by Carrageenan induced paw edema and Ethyl phenylpropiolate induced ear edema reduced the inflammation demonstrated through the reduction of vascular permeability may be due to the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase leading to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. Hence the study suggests that selected plants can be considered as a resource for searching novel anti-inflammatory agents possessing COX-2 inhibition.