Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Sclerochloa dura (Poaceae)

The plant Sclerochloa dura is traditionally used in South-East Serbia to treat menstrual disorders characterized by pain and excessive bleeding. According to statements of subjects, a reduction in bleeding and pain is experienced shortly after oral intake. The focus of this investigation was to determine the inhibitory effects of the plant on the arachidonic acid (AA) cascade along with the spectrophotometric determination of its antioxidant capacity. The AA release assay was performed using the human fibroblast-like synoviocyte cell line SW982 to determine the AA release and hence phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activity. The crude extract and subsequent fractions of S. dura inhibit IL-1 induced release of AA in a time- and dose-dependent manner in SW982 cells. The IC50 for the crude extract is 1.5 mg mL(-1) at 4 and 24 h of stimulation. Treating the cells with 0.22, 0.11 and 0.06 mg mL(-1) of a methanolic fraction resulted in 97, 91 and 63 % inhibition of AA-release, respectively. One milligram of the crude extract contained 34.78 mu g pyrocatechol equivalent phenolic content, 22.80 mu g quercetin equivalent flavonoid content and an antioxidant activity of 70.11 mu g alpha-tocopherol equivalents. The strong inhibitory effects of the S. dura extracts on the AA cascade may explain the reported pain- and discomfort-relieving effects.