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Inflammation is a protective reaction of the microcirculation. However, sustained inflammation can lead to undesired effects. Thuja occidentalis Linn has many pharmacological properties but has no anti-inflammatory activity described. Thus, this study aims evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract (AE) and the polysaccharide fraction (PLS) of T. occidentalis L. in mice. The results of our evaluations in various experimental models indicated that AE and PLS (3, 10, and 30mg/kg, i.p.) reduced (p˂0.05) paw edema induced by carrageenan, dextran sulfate (DEX), compound 48/80, serotonin (5-HT), bradykinin (BK), histamine (HIST), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Furthermore, it inhibited neutrophils recruitment; decreased MPO activity, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, vascular permeability, nitrite concentration, and MDA concentration; and maintained the GSH levels in the peritoneal exudate. The AE and PLS reduced neutrophil infiltration and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunostaining in paw tissue. Treatment with the AE and PLS (300mg/kg) did not induce gastric toxicity. In conclusion, these results show that the AE and PLS reduced the inflammatory response by inhibiting vascular and cellular events, inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and reducing oxidative stress. Furthermore, they did not induce gastric toxicity at high doses.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro protective effect of topical treatment with a native sulfated polysaccharide of G. caudata (SP-Gc), hydrolyzed (H-SP-Gc), or desulfated (D-SP-Gc) polysaccharide of Gracilaria caudata in esophageal biopsies obtained from GERD patients. Biopsies were obtained from nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) patients and from erosive esophagitis patients. Then, the biopsies were mounted in an Ussing chamber to measure the basal transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The effect of mucosal exposure to an acid solution on TEER was analyzed with or without different concentrations (1, 0.3 or 1%) of SP-Gc, H-SP-Gc, or D-SP-Gc, precoated on the mucosa. Basal esophageal mucosal electrical resistance was significantly lower in erosive esophagitis than from NERD. Mucosal samples precoated with native SP-Gc (1%) significantly prevented TEER drop induced by an acidic solution in NERD, but this effect was not observed in erosive esophagitis. Topical application of D-SP-Gc showed no difference compared to native SP-Gc. However, when treated with chemically-modified SP-Gc, the protective effect observed with native SP-Gc was lost. The present study indicated that SP-Gc protects the human esophageal mucosal barrier in NERD patients. This effect is dependent on the structure but is independent of the presence of sulfate.

Galactomannans are neutral polysaccharides isolated from the endosperm of some Leguminosae seeds. They consist of a (1 → 4) linked β-mannopyranosyl backbone partially substituted at O-6 with α- d -galactopyranosyl side groups. C. pulcherrima have anti-inflammatory and muco-adhesive proprieties. Acute gastritis is an inflammatory disease triggered by use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We investigated the gastroprotective effect of galactomannan obtained from the seeds of Caesalpinia pulcherrima L. (GM-CP) in acute gastritis model induced by indomethacin. Gastritis was induced with indomethacin (30 mg/kg, P.·O.) in female Swiss mice. Animal groups (n = 7) were pretreated with saline-dissolved GM-CP (3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, P.O.) or vehicle 1 h before gastritis induction. Mice were euthanized seven hours after the induction. The stomach and blood samples were collected for analysis. At 10 mg/kg, GP-CP reduced the extension of macroscopic lesion and the loss of superficial cells by alleviating inflammatory symptoms (neutrophil infiltration, migration and adhesion of mesenteric leukocytes, production of TNF-α and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and helping to maintain mucin labeling of the tissue. Thus, the findings of the study suggest that GM-CP exhibits gastroprotective effects.