1. Evening primrose oil possesses a promising anti-
inflammatory activity in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Nourhan M. Abd el-maksoud1, Manar M. Rashad1, Gamal M. Badr1, Al-Siddeg K. Al-Siddeg 2, Mai F. Tolba2,*
1 Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, 2 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of
Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Background
Over the past two centuries, natural
products have played a valuable role in
drug discovery contributing enormously
to the development of therapeutic agents
currently used in modern medicine.
Oenothera biennis ( Evening primrose) is a
plant native to North America, but it
grows in Europe and parts of the
Southern hemisphere as well. From its
seeds, the evening primrose oil (EPO) is
extracted which is high in the essential
fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)
linoleic acid (LA) that are omega-6 fatty
acids.
EPO has various biological effects as it is
used as an antioxidant and in some
conditions affecting women’s health, such
as breast pain associated with the
menstrual cycle, menopausal symptoms,
and premenstrual syndrome (PMS);
cancer; and diabetes.
Objectives:
This study tested the hypothesis that
Evening Primrose oil possesses a potential
anti-inflammatory activity. This was
achieved investigating its activity using
carrageenan-induced rat paw edema
model.
Materials and method
Animals were pretreated with 250 or 500
mg/kg of EPO 30 min before carrageenan
s.c. injection. Then the change in paw
volume was evaluated using
pleythsmometer. The anti-inflammatory
activity was tested in comparison to the
standard nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug indomethacin .
Nitric oxide (NO), catalase activity (CAT),
reduced glutathione (GSH) and Total
antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed
in the collected paw edema exudates
using kits purchased from Biodiagnostics
(Giza, Egypt).
Results: Results
EPO 250mg significantly increased the
levels of the powerful antioxidant
glutathione(mmol/L) in paw edema
exudates (figure 2).
EPO 250mg shows increased total
antioxidant capacity (mM/L) in paw
edema exudates (figure 4).
EPO 250 mg and EPO 500 mg normalized
the levels of the anti-inflammatory
catalase (U/ml) in paw edema exudates.
(figure 3)
Conclusion
EPO showed a promising anti-
inflammatory effect that encourages
further evaluation of such activity .
GLA is a member of the n-6 family of
polyunsaturated fatty acids might be
the contributing to its anti-
inflammatory effect.
EPO 250mg significantly decreased the
levels of the inflammatory mediator NO
(µmol/L) in paw edema exudate. (figure 1)
*Corresponding author
Dr. Mai Fathy Tolba
Lecturer, Pharmacology and
Toxicology Department, Faculty of
pharmacy, Ain
Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
tolba.mf@pharma.asu.edu.egmail:-E
Contacts
Effect of EPO on NO levels
Effect of EPO on GSH levels
Effect of EPO on CAT
activity
Effect of EPO on TAC
c o n tro l Ca rra g e e n a nIn d o me th a c in PR2 5 0 PR5 0 0
0
100
200
300
400
catalase
c ontrol CarrageenanIndomethac in PR250 PR500
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
totalantioxidantcapacity
c ontrol CarrageenanIndomethac in PR250 PR500
0
5
10
15
GSH