IN VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF PAULLINIA PINNATA L. AND MEZONEURON BENTHAMIANUM BAILL.: TWO MEDICINAL PLANTS TRADITIONALLY USED IN BREAST CANCER MANAGEMENT IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Breast cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Inflammation and oxidative stress are implicated in tumor development and progression. In Côte d’Ivoire, Paullinia pinnata L. and Mezoneuron benthamianum Baill. are traditionally used in breast cancer management, although their biological activities remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated the in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of hydroethanolic extracts from these two medicinal plants.
Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using the inhibition of bovine serum albumin denaturation, while antioxidant capacity was evaluated using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Extraction yields were 6.8 ± 2.75% for P. pinnata and 3.4 ± 0.33% for M. benthamianum. At 250 µg/mL, the extracts inhibited protein denaturation by 52.63% and 54.39%, respectively, compared with 73.69% for sodium diclofenac. In the DPPH assay, P. pinnata exhibited the strongest activity, with an IC₅₀ of 15.33 ± 1.78 µg/mL, whereas M. benthamianum showed greater activity in the ABTS and FRAP assays.
These findings indicate that both extracts possess in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, supporting further investigation of their phytochemical composition and biological effects. However, additional studies are required to identify the compounds responsible for these activities and determine their relevance to breast cancer.