Exploring the therapeutic potential of Prinsepia utilis Royle seed oil: A comprehensive study on chemical composition, physicochemical properties, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Prinsepiautilis (PU) Royle, native to the Himalayan region, is a deciduous thorny shrub with numerous traditional uses of its roots, leaves and seeds for treatment of conditions such as rheumatic pain, joint pain, arthritis, and inflammation. AIM OF THE STUDY: Keeping in mind the growing demand of products of natural origin as alternate medicine, the present study was undertaken to scientifically validate for the first time the traditional claims of healing pain and inflammation by evaluating the fatty oil isolated from the seeds using established in vitro and in vivo models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PU Seeds were Soxhlet extracted using n-hexane and fatty oil was isolated. Chemical composition of the oil was established with the aid of Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The oil was then subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by following the established protocols of trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assays. The acute toxicity of the oil was also studied using OECD guidelines 423. The anti-inflammatory property of the oil was further evaluated using carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced edema in the rat paw. Moreover, hot plate latency and tail immersion assay were employed to evaluate analgesic activity of the oil. To establish the quality of the oil, various physicochemical properties were also studied. RESULTS: GC-FID and GC-MS analysis of the oil revealed the presence of linoleic acid (59.06 ± 0.00%), oleic acid (28.11 ± 0.01%), palmitic acid (9.51 ± 0.01%) and stearic acid (3.32 ± 0.01%). In vitro trypsin inhibitory and bovine serum albumin denaturation assay revealed dose-dependent notable activity of the oil with IC50 value of 63.57 µg/mL and 518.14 µg/mL, respectively. The physico-chemical characterization demonstrated that the oil possesses a low acidity and a high oxidative stability index. The oil was found to be non-toxic and displayed effective anti-inflammatory activities with significant inhibition till 4 h in carrageenan-induced and formalin-induced rat paw edema at maximum tested dose of 200 mg/kg b.w. The oil also exhibited significant results in hot plate latency and tail immersion assay with positive effects showing up to 4 h after dose administration. CONCLUSION: These findings, besides supporting the traditional claims, suggest that P. utilis seed oil has potential therapeutic applications as a natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. Further studies are warranted to explore its mechanisms of action and potential use in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Phytochemistry and Therapeutic Potential of Cupressus torulosa Needles Essential Oil from India.

Cupressus torulosa is an evergreen tree with a wide distribution in north-western Himalayan region of India. Its needles have long been used in traditional medicine for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and wound-healing properties. This study aimed to scientifically validate the traditional claim of the needles to treat inflammation by evaluating the chemical composition, antioxidant potential, and anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil extracted from the needles (CTEO) using hydro-distillation. Qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of the CTEO was determined with the aid of GC-MS and GC-FID techniques. The major constituents of the CTEO were terpinen-4-ol (393.8±12.5 µg/mg), totarol (55.0±17.2 µg/mg), and sabinene (43.7±2.8 µg/mg). CTEO exhibited significant antioxidant activity when evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing power assays. Furthermore, the CTEO demonstrated good anti-inflammatory behavior in in vitro egg albumin denaturation assay, with an IC50 of 27.32 µg/mL. In vivo tests using carrageenan-induced paw edema and xylene-induced ear edema in rats showed significant effects at doses of 30 mg/kg for up to 1 hour. The significant discoveries not only support the established assertions about the anti-inflammatory properties of C. torulosa needles but also highlight their potential as a useful resource in the growing herbal, complementary, and alternative medicine sectors.