Effect of Ipomea carnea Jacq. flowers on hematological changes in toluene diisocyanate-induced inflammation in Wistar rats.

Aim: To investigate the active chloroform fraction of the ethanol extract of Ipomoea carnea flowers on hematological changes in toluene diisocyanate-induced inflammation in Wistar rats.

Method: Except for the control group, all of the rats were sensitized with intranasal application of 5 μL of 10% toluene diisocyanate (TDI) for 7 days. One week after second sensitization, all of the rats were provoked with 5 μL of 5% TDI to induce airway hypersensitivity. After the last challenge, blood and bronchoalvelor lavage (BAL) fluid were collected and subjected to total and differential leucocytes count. Flash chromatography was performed on the most active chloroform fraction to isolate an individual component.

Results: Treatment with the ethanolic extract and its chloroform fraction at an oral dose of 200 mg·kg⁻¹ showed a significant decrease in circulating neutrophil and eosinophil in blood and BAL as compared with standard dexamethasone (DEXA). The structure of the compound obtained from chloroform fraction of Ipomea carnea was elucidated as stigmast-5, 22-dien-3β-ol on the basis of spectral data analysis.

Conclusion: The chloroform fraction was found to be more effective to suppress airway hyper reactivity symptoms, and decreased count of both total and differential inflammatory cells.