Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of jervine, a sterodial alkaloid from rhizomes of Veratrum album

Background: Veratrum, hellebore is an important plant species of the Liliaceae family and jervine is the characteristic steroidal alkaloid constituent of Veratrum album.

Purpose: In the current study, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of jervine isolated from NH₄OH-benzene extract of V. album rhizomes were investigated on CAR induced paw edema in rats.

Methods/study design: In inflammatory study, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses of jervine, 25 mg/kg doses of DIC and IND were orally administered, and the volume of the foots were measured up to their knee arthrosis by plethismometer. After one hour of the oral administration of the all treatments, 0.1 ml of CAR solution (1%) was injected into the foot of the all rat groups and the volume of the foots were measured during 5 h after CAR injection. GPx, SOD, GR, MPO, CAT enzymes activities and GSH, LPO levels of the supernatants of paw homogenates and inflammation biomarkers such as TNF-α and IL-1β in the rats serums were also estimated.

Results: According to the present results, jervine exerted 50.4-73.5% anti-inflammatory effects in carrageenan induced paw edema. Inflammation biomarkers such as TNF-α, IL-1β and MPO that increased by CAR injection were suppressed by the administrations of all doses of jervine, IND and DIC. In all paw tissues, LPO levels as indicator of oxidative tissue damage were found to be high in CAR-treated group and it was found to be decreased in all doses of jervine.

Conclusion: Jervine, DIC and IND reduced the negative effects of CAR due to increasing effects on the SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx and GR antioxidants.