Assessing The Anti-Inflammatory Potential Of Vitex negundo: An In-Vitro Experimental Study

Abstract

Vitex negundo is an aromatic plant from the Verbenaceae family, native to India, which has been known for its therapeutic properties since ancient times. In the current study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of Vitex negundo (VN) extract via in-vitro laboratory experiments such as HRBC (Human red blood cell) membrane stabilisation assay, albumin denaturation inhibition assay, and proteinase inhibition assay. The results exhibited that, in the HRBC membrane stabilisation test, the VN extract significantly reduced cell damage, exhibiting 79.95% protection at a concentration of 200 μg/ml against the control anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium.
In the protein denaturation assay, VN effectively inhibited protein denaturation, with its highest inhibition rate of 72.29% at 200 μg/ml concentration. The proteinase inhibition assay also demonstrated satisfactory results, with maximum inhibition (58.24%) observed at 200μg/ml.
These results confirm the strong anti-inflammatory properties of VN, particularly at a concentration of 200 μg/ml, where it was most effective in mitigating inflammation-related mechanisms. Our results propose that VN has significant potential to be developed into a natural, plant-based anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent and is a promising alternative to synthetic drugs. The current study will be a foundation for future research efforts that aim to explore the therapeutic properties of VN, and future research endeavours should focus more on advanced phytochemical characterisation, drug formulations and human clinical trials to exploit the use of these properties.