Anti-inflammatory activity and identification of the Verbena litoralis Kunth crude extract constituents

Verbena litoralis is a plant popularly known as “gervãozinho-do-campo” in Portuguese. It is traditionally used for stomach, liver and gallbladder problems, and as an anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic. The goal of this study was to determine the chemical composition of the crude extract obtained from the aerial parts of V. litoralis by Ultra High Performance Liquid chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry in Tandem (UHPLC-MS/MS); assess the anti-inflammatory activity of ethyl acetate fraction and of crude extract; and verify liver, kidney and pancreas damage. In this study, the chemical composition of the extract was identified via UHPLC/MS/MS, assessing the anti-inflammatory activity of the crude extract and the acetate fraction in an induction model of the granulomatous tissue, as well as given liver, kidney and pancreas damage markers. Chlorogenic acid, luteolin, caffeic acid, apigenin, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid and quercetin were quantified in the extract. After the seven-day treatment, the granuloma of the animals treated with the plant extract and fraction presented values very close to the positive control (nimesulide). The V. litoralis crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction show anti-inflammatory activity similar to the nimesulide without evidence of liver, kidney and pancreas damage, which attributes the plant’s pharmacological action to the flavonoids found.滨马鞭草（Verbena litoralis）是一种在葡萄牙语中俗称"gervãozinho-do-campo"的植物。该植物在传统医学中被用于治疗胃部、肝脏及胆囊相关病症，同时兼具抗炎与驱虫功效。本研究旨在通过超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法（UHPLC-MS/MS）分析滨马鞭草地上部分粗提物的化学成分；评估乙酸乙酯萃取组分与粗提物的抗炎活性；并检测其对肝脏、肾脏及胰腺的损伤情况。本研究通过UHPLC-MS/MS鉴定了该提取物的化学成分，在肉芽肿组织诱导模型中评估了粗提物与乙酸乙酯组分的抗炎活性，并检测了肝脏、肾脏及胰腺的损伤标志物水平。研究人员在该粗提物中定量检测了绿原酸、木犀草素、咖啡酸、芹菜素、对香豆酸、香草酸、阿魏酸与槲皮素。经过7天的给药治疗后，使用该植物粗提物与萃取组分处理的动物肉芽肿体积数值与阳性对照（尼美舒利）极为接近。滨马鞭草粗提物与乙酸乙酯萃取组分展现出与尼美舒利相当的抗炎活性，且未观察到肝脏、肾脏及胰腺的损伤迹象，由此表明该植物的药理活性与其所含黄酮类化合物密切相关。