Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant effects of phenolic compound from Algerian Mentha rotundifolia L. leaves on experimental animals

The existence of numerous side effects following the use of anti-inflammatory drugs has led to the present study about Mentha rotundifolia L. The plant is prescribed in folk medicine treatment of inflammatory diseases to discover biomolecules that have substantial beneficial effects with the least adverse effects. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of polyphenols from Mentha rotundifolia L. leaves extract were evaluated, using carrageenan-induced mice paw edema model and acetic acid induced writhing method. The effects on oxidative stress of plant extract were also evaluated after sacrifice of the experimental mice. The extract showed a dose dependent effect on inflammation inhibition. The highest percentage of edema inhibition was 84.49% after 4 h at dose of 600 mg/kg. The extract showed a significant (p < 0.05) dose dependent increase in reaction time in mice in writhing method at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. The result revealed also significant increases (p < 0.05) in the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and significant decreases in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level activity in the liver homogenate after Carrageenan injection, in comparison with the inflammatory group. The results suggest that the polyphenolic extract of Mentha rotundifolia L. possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. It possesses also in vivo antioxidant activity and can be employed in protecting tissue from oxidative stress.