ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF
MAHONIA AQUIFOLIUM LEAVES AND BARK EXTRACTS
ANDRA-DIANA ANDREICUŢ 1, ALINA ELENA PÂRVU 1*, AUGUSTIN CĂTĂLIN MOȚ 2, MARCEL PÂRVU 3, EVA FISCHER-FODOR 4, VASILE FELDRIHAN 5, ADRIANA FLORINELA CĂTOI 1, MIHAI CECAN 6, ALEXANDRU IRIMIE 7
1Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 3-4 Victor
Babeş Street, RO-400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 11 Arany Janos
Street, RO-400028, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babeş-Bolyai" University, 42 Republicii Street, RO-400015, Cluj-
Napoca, Romania
4Medfuture Research Centre for Advanced Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu”, RO-400012,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania; "I. Chiricuţă" Institute of Oncology, 34-36 Republicii Street, RO-400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
5Department of Imunology and Alergology, Faculty of Medicine, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
19-21 Croitorilor Street, RO-400162, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
6Student, Faculty of Medicine, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Babes Street, RO-400012, Cluj-
Napoca, Romania
7Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, "Iuliu Haţieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 34-36 Republicii
Street, RO-400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
*corresponding author: parvualinaelena@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
Oxidative stress and inflammation are interlinked processes that seem to play an important role in aging. The present work
aimed to test the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic Mahonia aquifolium leaves and bark extracts in an
experimental acute inflammation. Six polyphenols and four alkaloids were measured by HPLC. The radical scavenging
activity was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. Inflammation was induced in rat with turpentine oil.
Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated with serum nitric oxide (NOx) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and
oxidative stress with total oxidative status (TOS), total antioxidant reactivity (TAR), oxidative stress index (OSI), 3-
nitrotyrosine (3NT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total thiols (SH). Extracts were administrated orally (100%, 50%, 25%)
for seven days prior to inflammation. The effects were compared to diclofenac. The most abundant polyphenol was
chlorogenic acid, and alkaloids were identified only in the bark extract. The DPPH assay showed good results, except for the
bark extract. All extracts decreased NOx, TOS, 3NT, and increased SH. TNF-alpha was reduced, and TAR was increased
only by the leaves extract. MDA was not influenced. Our findings suggest that M. aquifolium leaves and bark extracts have
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that support the use in primary prevention of the “inflammaging” process.

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