Mass Spectrometric Identification of Benth Leaf Extracts and Evaluation of Their Therapeutic Effects on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response.

Benth has been evaluated as an alternative drug to treat diseases associated with inflammatory processes. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous and hydroalcoholic leaf extracts of with inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides in in vitro and in vivo inflammation models. The phytochemical profile of the extracts, analyzed by ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, revealed the presence of gallic and ellagic acids in both extracts, whereas isovitexin, ferulate, bulky amino acids (e.g., phenylalanine), pheophorbide, lactic acid, and pyridoxine were detected in the hydroalcoholic extract. The extracts displayed the ability to modulate in vitro and in vivo inflammatory responses, reducing approximately 50% of pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), and inhibiting both NO production and leukocyte migration by approximately 30 and 40% at 100 and 500 µg/mL, respectively. Overall, the results highlight and identify, for the first time, the ability of leaf extract to modulate inflammatory processes. These data suggest that the leaf extracts of this plant have potential in the development of herbal formulations for the treatment of inflammation.