Evaluation of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potential of hesperidin and naringin on the rat air pouch model of inflammation

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidative potential of hesperidin and naringin was carried out considering the rat air pouch model of inflammation. Reference dose of hesperidin (H) or naringin (N) or indomethacin (I) was administered to the rat air pouches. The pouches were induced by injecting sterile air into the intra-scapular region of the rats followed by carrageenan (AP + C) administration. Rats injected only with air (AP) served as controls. The AP + C group, showed an increase in the exudate lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), TNF-alpha, activity of catalase (CAT), total leukocytes and neutrophils along with tissue edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Increases in tissue nitrite, LPO, GSH, SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT were recorded. Increased CAT and SGPT with concomitant decrease in ALP were observed in serum. When treated with indomethacin (AP + C + I), all the alterations in the exudate, tissue and serum shifted towards normalcy, except LPO in exudate and nitrite in tissue, while, hesperidin (AP + C + H) or naringin (AP + C + N) treatment normalized all the alterations. It seems that both naringin and hesperidin are anti-inflammatory and antioxidative in nature, but hesperidin proved to be better than indomethacin and naringin because of more pronounced pharmacological actions without tissue toxicity.