Abstract

A standard aqueous extract of Mangifera indica L., used in Cuba as antioxidant under the brand name VIMANG®, was tested in vivo for its anti-inflammatory activity, using commonly accepted assays. The standard extract of M. indica, administered orally (50-200 mg/kg body wt.), reduced ear edema induced by arachidonic acid (AA) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in mice. In the PMA model, M. indica extract also reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. In vitro studies were performed using macrophage cell line J774 stimulated with pro-inflammatory stimuli lipopolysaccharide-interferon gamma (LPS-IFNγ) or calcium ionophore A23187 to determine prostaglandin PGE2 or leukotriene LTB4 release, respectively. The extract inhibited the induction of PGE2 and LTB4 with IC50 values of 21.7 and 26.0 μg/ml, respectively. Mangiferin (a glucosylxanthone isolated from the extract) also inhibited these AA metabolites (PGE2, IC50 value=17.2 μg/ml and LTB4, IC50 value=2.1 μg/ml). These results represent an important contribution to the elucidation of the mechanism involved in the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects reported for the standard extract of M. indica VIMANG®. © 2005.