Inhibition of Cytosolic Phospholipase A(2)α (cPLA(2)α) by Medicinal Plants in Relation to Their Phenolic Content

The cytosolic phospholipase A(2)α (cPLA [Formula: see text]) is one of the potential targets for anti-inflammatory drugs, since this enzyme plays a key role in the inflammation processes seen in health disorders, like asthma, allergic reactions, arthritis and neuronal diseases. In this study, cPLA [Formula: see text] inhibition by 43 methanol extracts from medicinal plants rich in polyphenols was determined. The eight most active extracts were derived from Ribes nigrum (IC [Formula: see text] of 27.7 µg/mL), Ononis spinosa (IC [Formula: see text] of 39.4 µg/mL), Urtica dioica (IC [Formula: see text] of 44.32 µg/mL), Betula sp. (IC [Formula: see text] of 58.02 µg/mL), Sanguisorba officinalis (IC [Formula: see text] of 76.25 µg/mL), Orthosiphon stamineus (IC [Formula: see text] of 78.83 µg/mL), Petasites hybridus (IC [Formula: see text] of 81.02 µg/mL) and Tussilago farfara (IC [Formula: see text] of 123.28 µg/mL). Additionally, the antioxidant activities of these extracts were determined with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and their phenolic content with the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. Antioxidant activity showed a non-linear, positive correlation to the phenolic content, but no correlation of PLA [Formula: see text] inhibition with phenolic content could be established. This study provides evidence that cPLA [Formula: see text] may be a relevant target for anti-inflammatory agents.