PRAGUE—Czech University of Life Sciences Prague researchers screened plant extracts from traditionally used Czech medicinal plants for their ability to inhibit xanthine oxidase, an enzyme that is a metabolic pathway for uric acid; increased uric acid is a causative factor in episodes of gout and rheumatoid arthritis. About half of the 27 plant species screened exhibited some degree of xanthine oxidase inhibitory properties at 200mug/mL, correlating moderately with total phenol content. Methylene chloride-methanolic extracts of Populus nigra and Betula pendula were the most active, while an 80-percent ethanolic extract of Caryophyllus aromaticus and Hypericum perforatum were also fairly active. The researchers said their findings on P. nigra and B. pendula reflect the traditional uses of these botanicals in Central European folklore and suggest further research on these extracts and endpoints.
The research was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
