Study of in vitro antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effect of Ayurvedic plants – Murva

Abstract

Background and Aims: Toxic chemicals, pathogens and damaged cells trigger the inflammatory process and cause disease in the kidney, heart, brain, liver, lung and reproductive system. The present study evaluates the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect of Ayurvedic plants under the Murva category. Methods: Marsdenia tenacissima is an acceptable source of Murva. Sansevieria roxburghiana is considered as Murva in west Bengal. Methanol extracts of both plants were used to evaluate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects by certain in vitro methods. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of methanol extract Marsdenia tenacissima (MEMT) and methanol extract of Sansevieria roxburghiana (MESR) were assessed by heat and hypotonic induced haemolysis on the red blood cells of rats. Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay and inhibition of TNF-α release in DAL cell lines were conducted to assess the immunomodulatory potential of extracts. Results: MEMT, MESR and a combination of MEMT&MESR showed significant (p