The effect of age, season and growth conditions on anti-inflammatory activity in Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. Plant extracts
2001
Taylor, J.L.S. | Van Staden, J.
Eucomis (Family Hyacinthaceae) bulbs are greatly valued in traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of ailments, predominantly those involving pain, fever and inflammation. The COX-1 assay was used to screen ethanolic extracts prepared from the dried leaves, bulbs and roots of E. autumnalis (subspecies autumnalis) to determine the variation of anti-inflammatory activity with age and season of harvest. Young plants were found to have large amounts of COX-1 inhibitory activity, particularly in the leaves. As the plant matured, greater activity was associated with the bulb and root extracts. The anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf, bulb and root extracts varied slightly throughout the year, with the greatest levels detected towards the end of the growing season, shortly before the onset of dormancy. A seaweed application (Kelpak) decreased the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf, bulb and root extracts, while increased temperature/increased light intensity had no significant effect on the COX-1 inhibitory activity of the leaf extracts. The bulb extracts from treated plants harvested towards the end of the growing season showed a significant decrease in anti-inflammatory activity, while the anti-inflammatory activity of the corresponding not root extracts increased.
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