title: Anti-inflammatory effect of lemon mucilage: in vivo and in vitro studies.
abstract: The mucilage extracted from a lemon juice centrifugation pulp was studied for its anti-inflammatory effect in rat. In vivo the lemon mucilage significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced edema in rat paw from 59% to 73.5% showing the highest effect at the third hour. In vitro, at the doses of 10(-8), 10(-6), 10(-4) or 10(-2) mg/mL the lemon mucilage stimulated the superoxide anion production in rat testing neutrophils in whole blood but inhibited it in FMLP stimulated cells at the dose of 10(-2) mg/mL. The neutrophils of rats receiving p.o. the lemon mucilage for 21 days showed a significant decrease of 45.5% in O2- generation after FMLP stimulation, and a not-significant increase after phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) or zymosan stimulation. Since the activity on zymosan- and PMA-induced O2- production was not significant, the inhibition exerted by FMLP in rat neutrophils occurred mainly through the blockade of phospholipase D.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaco-Biological Department, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Enza Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavallaro
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ainis
authors.forename: Maria Marcella
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Tripodo
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contartese
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Taviano
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fimiani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002351:Carrageenan; D002957:Citrus; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013481:Superoxides; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D002351:Carrageenan