Evaluation of neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity effects of acute and sub-acute oral administration of unripe ackee (Blighia sapida) fruit extract

Sub-acute toxicity, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Mucuna pruriens L. leaves in experimental rodents

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Mucuna pruriens L is a wild and cultivated leguminous plant which have been used as an aphrodisiac, diuretic, nerve tonic, and antiarthritic agent.

AIM

To evaluate the toxicity, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activities of M. pruriens (EEMP) ethanol extract in experimental models.

METHODS

M. pruriens dried leaves were extracted using aqueous ethanol (30:70). Tests for acute and subacute toxicity were conducted on rats and mice. Mice were used in hotplate, acetic acid, and formalin models to test the antinociceptive activity of EEMP. The anti-inflammatory properties of EEMP (25, 100, and 400 mg/kg) were assessed egg albumin, carrageenan, and formalin-induced oedema models. The study examined the anti-inflammatory mechanism of EEMP (25-400 mg/kg) in rats with an air pouch caused by carrageenan. Air pouch exudates were tested for total leucocytes and differential cell counts, TNF-α, IL-6, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde, nitrites, and reduced glutathione (GSH).

RESULTS

The acute oral toxic dose of EEMP is greater than 2000 mg/kg. There were no significant behavioral, hematological or biochemical alterations seen after 14-days repeated administration of EEMP (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) in mice. The EEMP demonstrated significant antinociceptive activity in hotplate, acetic acid and formalin-induced nociception in mice. The EEMP significantly and dose dependently reduced paw oedema at 2, 4 and 96 h in the egg-albumin, carrageenan- and formalin-induced paw oedema, respectively. Exudates volume, inflammatory cell counts, TNF-α, IL-6, myeloperoxidase, malondialdehyde and nitrites were significantly reduced, while GSH increased in carrageenan-air pouch of EEMP-treated rats.

CONCLUSION

Mucuna pruriens leaves ethanol extract demonstrated good safety profile as well as antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity through mechanisms related to inhibition of oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as lysosomal membrane stability.

Pasting and Dough Rheological Properties of Ackee (Blighia sapida) Aril Flour: A Contribution to the Search for Wheat Flour Substitutes

Wheat is one of the most widely used cereals in the world. However, studies consider wheat flour doughs to be of low nutritional quality, as there is now greater public awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Therefore, consumers are demanding healthier and more varied food products. Consequently, wheat flour is being replaced fully or partially by flours from other sources with higher quality. Hence, the main objective of this work was to report the effect of blending wheat flour with ackee aril flour, until the total replacement of wheat flour, on pasting and dough rheological properties. Five different levels of blending were analyzed: wheat to ackee aril flour mass ratios of 100 : 0, 75 : 25, 50 : 50, 25 : 75, and 0 : 100. Pasting properties (pasting temperature, peak viscosity, ease of cooking, swelling power, final viscosity at 50  °C, and thixotropy) were analyzed; and steady-state shear measurements were used to obtain consistency coefficients (K) and flow behavior indexes (n) after data was fitted to the Power Law and Herschel-Bulkley models. The gradual addition of the ackee aril flour fraction produced an increase in ash, fat, protein, and fiber content; while water and carbohydrate content showed the opposite behavior in the obtained composite flour. Consequently, the partial or full replacement of wheat flour changed the rheological properties of the produced doughs, as well as the quality of the final product. These changes were mostly related to the protein and carbohydrate content of the ackee aril flour fraction. In general, doughs showed a pseudoplastic behavior with thixotropy whose viscosity decreased as the addition of ackee aril flour was increased. Pasting properties of blends involving 25 %-75 % ackee aril flour demonstrate the feasibility of including these flours in products subjected to high processing temperatures such as canned products or even to produce chips and pasta.