Etude de l’activité anti-inflammatoire de l’extrait méthanolique des graines de chia «Salvia hispanica L.»

Abstract

As part of the search for natural compounds with therapeutic potential, this study was devoted to the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.), as well as to the analysis of its phenolic content and phytochemical profile. The extract was obtained by maceration of the seeds in methanol for 48 hours, followed by solvent evaporation to obtain the crude extract. Qualitative phytochemical analysis, based on coloration and precipitation reactions, revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, mucilages and steroidal compounds. In addition, the quantitative determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids was carried out using spectrophotometric methods based on colorimetric assays employing the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride, respectively, yielding values of 97.6 μg GAE/mg DM for polyphenols and 117.6 μg QE/mg DM for flavonoids. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vitro using the protein denaturation inhibition method (egg albumin), showing a concentration-dependent inhibition with values ranging from 18.75% to 68.75%. However, this activity remains lower than that of diclofenac, whose values ranged from 25% to 85%. Overall, the results highlight the anti-inflammatory effect of the studied extract, which may be related to its richness in bioactive compounds.