The Tea and Polysaccharide Fractions of Ximenia Americana Stem Barks Inhibits Inflammatory Parameters Induced by Zymosan in Mice

Ximenia americana or “ameixa-do-sertão” is a plant used in the folk medicine of Northeast-Brazil in inflammatory and painful processes. The literature has shown anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities for the aqueous or hydroalcoholic extracts and polysaccharide fractions of X. americana stem barks. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of polysaccharide fractions and tea prepared from X. americana stem barks in mice models of paw edema and peritonitis induced by zymosan. Tea (50,100, 150 mg/kg; p.o.) and polysaccharide fractions (FI, FII: 1 mg/kg; i.v.), containing carbohydrate (44.8, 25.0, 44.4%) and polyphenols (28.3, 0.78, 1.50%), respectively, were administered 1 h before zymosan (500 mg; s.c. or i.p). FT-IR analysis of the tea showed bands indicating C=O and C-O groups vibration, typical of phenolic compounds. Zymosan-induced paw edema (AUC: 355.0 ± 38.1) was inhibited by the tea by 38% (100 mg/kg) and 36% (150 mg/kg). FI and FII reduced the edema by 47% (933.8 ± 158.1 AUC) and 30% (1263 ± 124.8 AUC), respectively. Zymosan i.p. induced hypernociception (4.7 ± 0.3 g) and increased the peritoneal leukocyte migration (10979 ± 1475 cells/ml). FII increased by 66% the nociceptive threshold (13.87 ±1.59 g) and reduced by 63% leukocyte migration (3993 ± 439.1 cells/ml). FII decreased plasma protein by 64% (92.6 ± 4.5 vs. zymosan: 119.6 ± 5.4 mg/ml) and MDA by 63% (57.5 ± 3.5 vs. zymosan: 88.9 ± 6.3 mg/ml). The tea, containing polysaccharides and polyphenols, and polysaccharide fractions FI/FII of X. americana barks possess antiinflammatory effect in mice models of acute inflammation induced by zymosan.