Anti-inflammatory activity of animal oils from the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Animal oils and fats from the fishes Electrophorus electricus and Potamotrygon motoro, thereptiles Boa constrictor, Chelonoidis denticulata (Geochelone denticulata) and Melanosuchus niger and theriverinedolphin Inia geoffrensis are usedasanti-inflammatory agents in the Peruvian Amazon.The aim of the study was to assess the topicanti-inflammatory effect of the oils/fats as well as to evaluate its antimicrobial activity and fatty acid composition.Materials andmethods: The oils/fats were purchased from atraditional store at the Iquitos market of Belen, Peru.Thetopicanti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by the mice ear edema induced byarachidonic acid(AA)and12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate(TPA)at the dose of 3mg oil/ear. Indomethacine and nimesulide were use das reference anti-inflammatory drugs.The application resembles the traditional topical use of the oils.The antimicrobial effect of the oils/fats was assessed by the microdilution test against references trains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis. The fatty acid composition of the oils/fats(asmethylesters)was determined by GC and GC?MS analysis after saponification. Results: All oils/fats showed topic anti-inflammatory activity,with better effect in the TPA-induced mice ear edema assay.The most active drugs were Potamotrygon motoro, Melanosuchus niger and Geochelone denticulata. IntheAA-induced assay,the best activity was found for Potamotrygonmotoro and Electrophorus electricus oil. The oil of Electrophorus electricus also showed a weak antimicrobial effect with MIC values of 250 mg/mL against Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Salmonella enteritidis-MI. The main fatty acids in the oils were oleic,palmitic and linoleic acids. Conclusions: Topical application of all the oils/fats investigated showed anti-inflammatory activity in the mice are dema assay.The effect can be related with the identity and composition of the fatty acids in the samples. This study gives support to the traditional use of animal oils/fats as ant-inflammatory agents in the eruvian Amazon. However,new alternative should been couraged due to the conservation status of several of the animal sources of the crude drugs.