Anti-inflammatory Activity and Toxicity Studies of Zingiber ottensii Valeton Oil in Experimental Animals

Abstract

Zingiber ottensii (ZO) Valeton, a local plant in Northern Thailand, has long been used in traditional medicine. Many studies using the in vitro models showed the pharmacological activities including the anti-inflammatory activity of ZO essential oil, However, the reports about its safety profiles, and the scientific report to confirm its activity using animal models are still lacking. The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile, the toxic effects, and the anti-inflammatory activities of ZO essential oil on animal models. GC–MS results showed that essential oil contained zerumbone as a major phytoconstituent (24.73%). The zebrafish embryotoxicity of ZO essential oil appeared to be concentration- and time-dependent manner, with a moderate LC50 (1.003 μg/mL) and teratogenicity in zebrafish embryos also included morphological defects, decreased hatchability, and reduced heart rate. In rats, ZO essential oil resulted in no mortality or significant toxicities. Moreover, ZO essential oil possessed anti-inflammatory activity by significantly reducing ear and paw edema formation induced by Ethyl phenylpropiolate and carrageenan, respectively. The ZO essential oil has also been shown to decrease the severity of inflammation, COX-2, and TNF-α expression in paw tissue as well as PGE2 level in serum. These findings suggest that ZO essential oil has embryotoxic and teratogenic effects in zebrafish embryos but does not result in death or acute oral toxicity in rats. Moreover, ZO essential oil showed anti-inflammatory activity in animal models.