Inhibition Effect of Red Ginger Root and Cinnamon Bark Extracts to Cyclooxygenase 2 and Xanthine Oxidase Activities Using In Vitro Experiments

Abstract

Red ginger and cinnamon are medicine plants which can be used as anti-inflammation and lowering uric acid level in blood. In this study, water and ethanol extracts of red ginger root and cinnamon bark have been assayed for phytochemical constituent, toxicity by brine shrimp lethality test, and in vitro inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 and xanthine oxidase activities. Diclofenac, ibuprofen and allopurinol were used as positive control. Based on phytochemical assay, water and ethanol extracts of red ginger root contained alkaloids, steroids, and flavonoids, while its water extract of cinnamon bark contained kaloids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, and tannins. The result of probit analyses of water and ethanol extracts of red ginger root and cinnamon bark showed that their LC50 values were 144 ppm, 108 ppm, 125 ppm, and 107 ppm, respectively. Ethanol extract of red ginger root showed very low inhibitory effect to cyclooxygenase 2 activity (23.81%) as compared to diclofenac (95,43%) and ibuprofen (93,59%). Water and ethanol extracts of cinnamon bark that have inhibitory effect more than 50% to xanthine oxidase were, 54.64% and 56.80%, with their IC50 values of 70 ppm and 63 ppm, respectively. Allopurinol exhibited the highest inhibitory effect (97.91%). The value of inhibitory effect showed that ethanol extract of red ginger root have low potential as inhibitor to cyclooxygenase 2 and rheumatoid drugs; water and ethanol extracts of cinnamon bark can be considered as potential as inhibitor of xanthine oxidase and can be used for uric acid drugs.