Anti-inflammatory, free radical-scavenging, and metal-chelating activities of Malva parviflora

Context: Malva parviflora L. (Malvaceae) is widely distributed throughout Africa. It has several uses in traditional medicinal practice. Leaves of this plant are used in the treatment of some inflammatory disorders. Objective: The anti-inflammatory and the antioxidant activities of the methanol extract (Met. E) and aqueous extract (Aq. E) of M. parviflora leaves were investigated. Materials and methods: Croton oil-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced vascular permeability were applied as acute inflammatory models to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts. The antioxidant effects were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical assay and the measurement of the metal-chelating activity. Results: Results demonstrated that Met. E inhibited the croton oil-induced ear edema by 57%. In contrast, the Aq. E did not show any activity. Furthermore, Met. E and Aq. E inhibited significantly the acetic acid-induced vascular permeability by 36 and 40%, respectively. However, Met. E and Aq. E exerted a strong scavenging activity with IC(50) values of 89.03 +/- 2.65 and 76.67 +/- 0.29 mu g/mL, respectively. Moreover, Met. E and Aq. E were able to chelate ferrous ions in a concentration-dependent manner. Discussion and conclusion: These findings demonstrate that M. parviflora leaf extracts possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and thus have great potential as an interesting source for natural health products.