Anti-Inflammatory Activity Evaluation of the Extract and Topical Pre-Formulation of Morus nigra Fruits

Abstract

Natural products are often a source for bioactive compounds which have great potential for developing novel therapeutic agents. In this sense, the present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a gel containing Morus nigra leaf extract and to evaluate its anti-inflammatory (in-vivo) and antioxidant (in-vitro) activity. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using Carrageenan-induced paw oedema. The antioxidant activity is evaluated by the lipid peroxidation inhibition and DPPH radical scavenging method. The results indicated that the extract (oral and topical route) and the blackberry gel (topical route) produced a significant anti-inflammatory activity (p < 0.05) compared to the untreated control, and similar to the reference drugs (ibuprofen and diclofenac). Regarding antioxidant activity, the Morus nigra extract also showed a significant activity in the tested models. Based on the above observations and results, mora gel formulation was found to be a promising anti-inflammatory formulation and further extensive in-vitro and in-vivo studies are warranted to evaluate its safety and biological potency and which may be useful for further clinical applications.