Phytochemical and pharmacological study of flower of Myrtus communis L. for anti-inflammatory activity

Abstract

Inflammation is a protective biological response to tissue injury, infection, and chemical insult; however, persistent inflammation contributes to the development of several chronic disorders. The present study was undertaken to investigate the phytochemical profile and anti-inflammatory potential of flower extracts of Myrtus communis L. The flowers were collected, authenticated, shade dried, powdered, and extracted successively using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water. The extracts were evaluated for percentage yield, preliminary phytochemical constituents, total phenolic content, and anti-inflammatory activity using protein denaturation inhibition, human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization, carrageenan-induced paw edema, and cotton pellet granuloma models. The ethanolic extract showed the highest percentage yield (9.85%), followed by aqueous extract (7.20%) and ethyl acetate extract (5.40%). Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, and carbohydrates in the ethanolic extract. The ethanolic extract exhibited the highest total phenolic content of 85.56 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract. In the protein denaturation assay, the selected extract showed concentration-dependent inhibition, with 68.09% inhibition at 800 µg/ml. Similarly, HRBC membrane stabilization was 69.09% at 800 µg/ml. In vivo, the extract produced dose-dependent reduction of carrageenan-induced paw edema, with 54.00% inhibition at 400 mg/kg after 4 h. In the cotton pellet granuloma model, the selected extract showed 47.55% inhibition at 400 mg/kg. The findings suggest that the flower of Myrtus communis L. possesses promising anti-inflammatory activity, which may be associated with its phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, and terpenoid constituents. Further chromatographic characterization, mechanistic studies, and toxicity evaluation are required to identify the active principles and establish therapeutic usefulness.