Investigation of in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of silver nanoparticles of Elaeocarpus serratus plant extract

Abstract

Elaeocarpus serratus, also known as Ceylon olive, a plant commonly named as Jalpai in South Asian countries, is not just a mere fruit and vegetable but also a medicinal plant rich in bioactive phytochemicals like flavonoids and phenolic acids, demonstrating a great potential to be a lead molecule in treating drugs for various concerning diseases. This study focuses on synthesising silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a green method of the E. serratus leaf extract and compares and evaluates the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the crude extract and the synthesised nanoparticles. It was demonstrated that AgNPs demonstrated significantly greater membrane destabilising inhibition compared to the crude extract and the standard aspirin, especially at the concentration of 20μg/mL, as evaluated by the anti-inflammatory activity that was determined through heat-induced hemolysis. Moreover, the antioxidant activity evaluated through the DPPH scavenging assay was comparable between the extract and AgNPs. Both exert mostly similar high radical scavenging ability, though not as high as ascorbic acid, which is demonstrated by antioxidant potential estimated in the DPPH radical scavenging assay. It is also important to note that when used at a higher concentration, AgNPs were found to be less active, presumably because of cytotoxicity, so optimal dosing remains a crucial aspect. Therefore, it can be said that AgNPs synthesised by the green method using Elaeocarpus serratus could be utilised in the improvement of anti-inflammatory activity and maintenance of oxidative stress, making them excellent agents to develop a new therapeutic agent to treat oxidative stress and any inflammation-related disorder. However, for more accuracy, safety, efficacy and optimum dosage regimen, pharmacological in vivo tests should be conducted.