This study was conducted to explore the anti-inflammatory effect of Jungia sellowii (Asteraceae) using a murine model of
pleurisy induced by
carrageenan (Cg). This plant is used in southern Brazil to treat inflammatory diseases. J. sellowii leaves were extracted with
ethanol/water to obtain the
crude extract (CE), which was fractionated with different
solvents, yielding
n-hexane (Hex),
dichloromethane (DCM),
ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and
n-butanol (BuOH) fractions, and aqueous fraction (Aq). The major compounds
succinic acid (SA) and
lactic acid (LA) were isolated from Aq fraction, and their structures were determined by (1)H and (13)C NMR.
Pleurisy was induced by Cg (Saleh et al. 1996). The leukocytes, exudation,
myeloperoxidase (MPO) and
adenosine-deaminase (ADA) activities, metabolites of
nitric oxide (NO x ) levels,
protein levels and
mRNA expression for
interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), tumour
necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α),
interleukin 17A (IL17A) and inducible of
nitric oxide synthase (iNOs), and p65
protein phosphorylation (NF-κB) were analysed 4 h after
pleurisy induction. Animals pre-treated with CE, BuOH, Aq, SA, or LA inhibited leukocytes, exudation, MPO and ADA activities, NO x , IL-1β, TNF-α, and
IL-17A levels, and the
mRNA expression for IL-1β, TNF-α,
IL-17A, iNOS, and p65
protein phosphorylation (NF-κB) (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrated that J. sellowii can protect against
inflammation induced by Cg by decreasing the leukocytes and exudation. Its effects are related to the decrease of either proinflammatory
cytokines and/or NO x . The isolated compounds SA and LA may play an important role in this anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting all the studied parameters. The anti-inflammatory properties of these compounds are due to the downregulation of NF-κB.