title: Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of Pseudananas macrodontes (Morr.) Harms (Bromeliaceae) fruit extract in rats.
abstract: Several species of the family Bromeliaceae are characterized by the production of proteases in unusual amounts, especially in fruits. Bromelain, an extract rich in cysteine endopeptidases obtained from Ananas comosus L., and a few other proteases have been used as anti-inflammatory agents for some years, but bromelain is still mainly being used as alternative and/or complementary therapy to the treatment with glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal antirheumatics, and immunomodulators. In this study, the anti-inflammatory action of a partially purified extract from Pseudananas macrodontes (Morr.) Harms fruits (PPE(Pm)) is presented, whose main components are cysteine endopeptidases. The effect of PPE(Pm) was assessed in carrageenan-induced and serotonin-induced rat paw edema, as well as in the cotton pellet granuloma model. Doses with equal proteolytic activity of PPE(Pm) and bromelain produced significantly similar anti-inflammatory responses in the acute inflammatory models assayed, supporting the hypothesis that proteolytic activity could be responsible for the anti-inflammatory action. On the contrary, comparable anti-inflammatory effects of PPE(Pm) and bromelain in the chronic inflammatory assay required a much lower proteolytic activity content of PPE(Pm), which could be due to a differential affinity for the protein target involved in this process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Proteins, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, 47 & 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Errasti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Proteins, Faculty of Exact Sciences, National University of La Plata, 47 & 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Néstor O
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: Caffini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, National University of San Luis, Chacabuco & Pedernera, 5700 San Luis, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lilian E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Pelzer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, National University of San Luis, Chacabuco & Pedernera, 5700 San Luis, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandra E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Rotelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031229:Bromeliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts