COX-1 inhibitory activity in extracts from Eucomis L'Herit. species.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds can relieve pain and inflammation associated with elevated levels of prostaglandins in the body and are proposed to be the agents responsible for the action of traditional herbal remedies associated with the reduction of pain, fever and inflammation. Primarily the bulbs and in some instances the leaves and roots, of Eucomis L 'Herit. species are widely utilized in South African traditional medicine for this purpose. A measure of the anti-inflammatory activity of plant extracts can be generated using the cyclooxygenase (COX-1) assay. High levels of COX-1 inhibitory activity were detected in crude extracts prepared from the leaves, bulbs and roots of Eucomis species. Of the 11 species tested, 9 species exhibited moderate COX-1 inhibitory activity (40-70%) for the aqueous bulb extracts. All 11 species showed COX-1 inhibitory activity of +/-70% or higher, for the ethanol bulb extracts. The bulb and root extracts (ethanol) showed, in general, the highest levels of COX-1 inhibitory activity, but most species exhibited no significant difference in activity between plant parts. Generally (for 7 of the 11 species), these levels did not differ significantly in specimens harvested in summer and in winter. IC50 values were calculated to be 72 microg ml(-1) for the bulb extract of E. autumnalis autumnalis, and 27 microg ml(-1) for the root extracts. The corresponding IC50 value for the leaf extract was estimated to be 15 microg ml(-1). The COX-1 inhibitors were relatively stable over time, both in solution (ethanol) and in the dried plant material. Extracts tested over a period of three years did not differ significantly in COX-1 inhibitory activity. These experimental results validate the extensive use of this plant in southern African traditional medicine.