In Vivo Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Balanites aegyptiaca (L) Del (Balanitaceae) Galls and Leaves

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del. (Balanitaceae), a tropical plant is well known for its widespread uses in Burkina Faso traditional medicine. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of B. aegyptiaca trough the turpentine-induced inflammation. The aqueous acetone extracts of galls and leaves have been used to test the anti-inflammatory effects on adult male Wistar-Bratislava albino rats. Total leukocytes count was performed with an optical microscope (Olympus), using a Burcker-Turk counting-chamber. The nitric oxides synthesis (NOx), the total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant response (TAR) of the serum were measured using a colorimetric assay. The results have showed that all the extracts reduced significantly (p<0.0001) the total leukocytes and total nitrites and nitrates levels in the rats serum. The oxidative stress evaluation showed that the treatment with any dose of B. aegyptiaca gall and leaf extracts was significantly decreased (p<0.0001) the total oxidative status. Moreover, these extracts have been prevented the Turpentine oil induced inflammation by increasing the total antioxidant response. TAR increasing did correlated to TOS decrease by comparison with the inflammation group. In general, an interesting anti-inflammatory effect was found in this study with the greatest activity found in the gall extracts. B. aegyptiaca could then be a potential source of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.