The synergistic effect of the combination of <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> and <i>Ceratonia siliqua</i> on inflammation and oxidative stress

Abstract

The use of basil and carob in traditional medicine to address inflammation and oxidative stress reflects a long-standing practice rooted in folk medicine. This study was conducted to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of a rosmarinic acid-rich extract of Ocimum basilicum (RAE) combined with a carob aqueous extract (CAE). Paw edema in rats and vascular permeability in mice were measured to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect. The assessment of lipoprotein oxidation was carried out by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as well as determining the scavenging activity towards lipoperoxyl radicals and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The combination (200 mg/kg) significantly decreased carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and vascular permeability in mice ( p &lt;0.001), and these effects were comparable to those of the indomethacin drug (50 mg/kg). Moreover, the combination significantly prevented plasma lipoprotein oxidation and efficiently scavenged lipoperoxyl (IC 50 = 160 ± 11 μg/ml) and DPPH (IC 50 = 80 ± 4 μg/ml) radicals. The present study indicates the potential nutraceutical benefits of combining Basil and Carob in the treatment of inflammatory and oxidative stress-related diseases, which is correlated with the high contents of rosmarinic acid, phenolic acids, and fibres.