Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Inflammation is a protective biological response against harmful stimuli such as pathogens, tissue injury, and toxic substances. However, chronic inflammation may lead to several diseases including arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. Conventional anti-inflammatory drugs are effective but often produce adverse effects during long-term use. Therefore, herbal medicines have gained importance as safer alternatives due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory potential. The present study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of selected herbal extracts using the albumin denaturation method. Herbal drugs such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), neem (Azadirachta indica), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), and ginger (Zingiber officinale) were selected for the study. The extracts were prepared using Soxhlet extraction with suitable organic solvents. Different concentrations of the extracts were tested against heat-induced denaturation of albumin protein and compared with the standard drug diclofenac sodium. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by measuring the percentage inhibition of protein denaturation at 660 nm using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Among the tested extracts, neem and turmeric showed significant inhibition of albumin denaturation, indicating appreciable anti-inflammatory activity, although lower than the standard diclofenac sodium. The activity may be attributed to the presence of phytoconstituents such as curcumin, flavonoids, tannins, gingerols, eugenol, and limonoids. The study suggests that these herbal extracts possess promising anti-inflammatory potential and may serve as natural therapeutic agents for inflammatory disorders. The albumin denaturation assay proved to be a simple, economical, and reliable method for preliminary screening of herbal anti-inflammatory activity.