Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Algerian Daphne gnidium L. leaf extracts.

Many plant extracts prepared from plants have been shown to exert biological activity in vitro and in vivo. The present study explored antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Daphne gnidium (D. gnidium) leaf extracts. The quantitative assessment of phenolic compounds showed that methanolic extract of D. gnidium contains the highest number of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins compared to aqueous extract. both extracts exerted a potent scavenging activity of DPPH●, hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Aqueous and methanolic extracts also showed a great ability to reduce ferric ion and inhibit lipid oxidation through prevention of linoleic acid. While the ability of the two extracts to chelate ferrous ions was weak. The use of D. gnidium extracts was safe on human neutrophils. D. gnidium exerted a big inhibition and dose-dependent manner on myeloperoxidase activity. The results of in vivo anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated that treating mice with 1 mg/mL of D. gnidium extracts significantly (p<0.001) inhibited neutrophils migration, and the orally treatment of mice by both extracts reduced ear edema induced by xylene. Overall, these results suggest that the D. gnidium could be a source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.