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Anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic potential of an aqueous extract from taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)

Abstract:

Introduction: Because of their great biodiversity and availability, plants are one the main sources of active principles of pharmacological importance. Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. (Asteraceae) is a weed traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Ancestral knowledge about the medicinal uses of this plant is the basis for the study of its biological activity with the use of new technologies. Objective: Determine the potential of an aqueous extract from leaves of Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. (Asteraceae) as anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic agent applying spray drying technology. Methods: T. officinale dry leaves were subjected to extraction of total soluble solids using water as solvent with a 22 experimental design. The dry extract was obtained by spray drying technology. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined by the human erythrocyte membrane stabilization method, whereas cytotoxic activity was evaluated with the 3-(4-5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2.5-diphenyltetrazole bromide method (MTT) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Results: The aqueous extract from T. officinale leaves displayed anti-inflammatory activity as of a concentration of 2.5 mg/ml. At a concentration of 5.5 mg/ml anti-inflammatory activity was 58.89%, surpassing that of acetylsalicylic acid, a commercial anti-inflammatory. Cytotoxic activity reached a cell death percentage of 87% with the use of a 1.00E-01 dilution of 50 mg/ml stock solution of the extract. Conclusions: The polyphenol content present in the plant extract is related to anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity.