Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Heritiera fomes (Buch.-Ham), a mangrove plant of the Sundarbans

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of Heritiera fomes ethanolic extract was evaluated.Query Ethanolic extraction of dried and grinded plant leaves and bark was performed. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and beta-carotene bleaching inhibition assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were also determined. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by in vitro human RBC membrane stabilizing assay and in vivo mice paw edema test. Ethanolic bark and leaf extracts of H. fomes (S1 and S2, respectively) showed significant scavenging effect on DPPH scavenging 68.51 mu g/ml for S1 and 108.64 mu g/ml for S2. Potent reduction potential (FRAP) was observed in S1 (83.75 mM of ferrous equivalent) while the FRAP of standard ascorbic acid was found 86.66 mu M of ferrous equivalent. S1 also exhibited 87.43% beta-carotene bleaching inhibition as comparable to standard butylated hydroxytoluene with 98.85% inhibition. Substantial phenolic and flavonoid content was also observed in S1 (136.83 mu g gallic acid equivalent/g of extract and 76.67 mu g quercetin equivalent/g of extract, respectively). S1 could provide 61.73% and 53.27% protection of RBC membrane in hypotonicity and heat induced lysis of RBC, respectively while the standard diclofenac sodium provided 91.66% and 86.66% protection, respectively. Furthermore, 44.16% reduction in mice paw edema at 40 mu g/kg bw concentration was observed in S1 as compared to standard indomethacine (53.54% in 10 mu g/kg bw concentration). The results revealed that the bark extract (S1) of H. fomes possesses significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.