Phytochemical Characterization and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Evaluation in RAW 264.7 Cells of Jatropha cordata Bark Extracts

Abstract

The inflammatory process, although beneficial, can produce tissue damage and systemic damage when uncontrolled. Effective therapeutic alternatives with little or no side effects are of great therapeutic interest. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition of bark extracts from J. cordata, an endemic plant from México, and evaluate their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts were characterized by qualitative phytochemical tests, and their bioactive groups were identified by 1H NMR and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The extract’s anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated as nitric oxide (NO) production and their cytotoxicity by an MTS cell proliferation assay in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells at concentrations of 1–100 μg/mL. The hexane extract contained fatty acids, fatty esters, phytosterols, alkanes, vitamin E, and terpenoids; the ethyl acetate extract showed fatty acids, fatty esters, aromatic aldehyde, phytosterols, vitamin E, and terpenoids, while the methanolic extract showed fatty esters, fatty acid, aromatics aldehydes, and alcohol. The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest inhibition of NO production, followed by the methanolic extract and the hexane extract, without affecting the viability of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. The results suggest that J. cordata extracts are a potential source of bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory potential.