Feijoa Sellowiana Berg fruit juice: anti-inflammatory effect and activity on superoxide anion generation.

Feijoa sellowiana Berg var. coolidge fruit juice was studied in vivo for the anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenin-induced paw oedema test and in vitro for the effects on superoxide anion release from neutrophils in human whole blood. The fruit juice was analysed by the high-performance liquid chromatography method, and quercetin, ellagic acid, catechin, rutin, eriodictyol, gallic acid, pyrocatechol, syringic acid and eriocitrin were identified. The results showed a significant anti-inflammatory activity of F. sellowiana fruit juice, sustained also by an effective antioxidant activity observed in preliminary studies on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. In particular, the anti-inflammatory activity edema inhibition is significant since the first hour (44.11 %) and persist until the fifth hour ( 44.12 %) of treatment. The effect on superoxide anion release was studied in human whole blood, in presence of activators affecting neutrophils by different mechanisms. The juice showed an inhibiting response on neutrophils basal activity in all experimental conditions. In stimulated neutrophils the higher inhibition of superoxide anion generation was observed at concentration of 10(-4) and 10(-2) mg/mL in whole blood stimulate with phorbol-myristate-13-acetate (PMA; 20% and 40%) and with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP; 15% and 48%). The significant reduction of edema and the inhibition of O2 (–) production, occurring mainly trough interaction with protein-kinase C pathway, confirm the anti-inflammatory effect of F. sellowiana fruit juice.