Inflammation is the body’s response to infections and other cell-damaging events. Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s cells are unable to defend themselves property to certain damaging molecules called oxidants.
Oxidative stress causes further damage to cells, thus making inflammation worse.
Although several anti-inflammatory medicines are available, most have unwanted side effects, and this often puts limits on their use.
There is, therefore, a constant demand for alternative medicines. An important source are those produced from natural sources; plant constituents, called secondary metabolites, have been recognised to be very capable of favourably altering the process of inflammation.
There is a constant demand for alternative medicines
During my doctoral research, I carried out studies to delineate the anti-inflammatory properties of medicinal plants growing on the Maltese Islands. The study was carried out at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, at the University, under the supervision of Roger Ellul Micallef.
It was co-supervised by Anthony Fenech, from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and by Everaldo Attard, from the Institute of Earth Systems.
The research focused on four medicinal plants that were selected on the basis of documents that record the use of the plants in alleviating symptoms associated with the inflammation in traditional medicine.
The plants were also selected on the basis of their endemic or indigenous origin, although in the case of Aloe vera, doubt exists as to whether the plant is truly indigenous.
The initial part of the study focused on five different extracts derived from the aerial part of each plant, including the rind fraction of aloe leaf. Studies were also carried out on the gel and exudates that were expressed from the aloe leaf.
Quantitative studies on the extracts were made to delineate the plants’ chemical profiles.
The antioxidant activity of the extracts, which is the ability to combat oxidative stress, was also determined.
The results from the studies showed that the plants were potential sources of metabolites that have been associated with anti-inflammatory properties. Extracts from Rue, Maltese Fleabane and the exudates from the Aloe vera plant emerged with the best profiles in terms of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity.
These extracts were consequently selected for further studies at molecular level to elucidate their anti-inflammatory properties. All the extracts exerted a statistically important anti-inflammatory activity.
This is the first scientific study at molecular level that documents the antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties of Maltese Fleabane which is endemic to the Maltese Islands.
In addition, the activity, as shown by some of the extracts that were studied, could be linked to toxic activity in certain types of tumour cells.
The findings warrant further studies that could potentially provide the basis for the development of new medicines.
Dr Darmanin Ellul graduated as a pharmacist from the University of Malta in 1994 and attained her PGCE in science education in 1998. In 2005, she received her Master of Science degree in Pharmacology. Her research on health, the use of medicines and knowledge about medicines among adolescents in Malta has been published in local and international peer-reviewed journals. Following a four-year, full-time programme of studies, she was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology by the University of Malta in November last year.
The findings of her doctoral work have been presented at the 8th Malta Medical Conference in December 2012 and at the First Mediterranean Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants conference in Cyprus last April. Her PhD degree was carried out with the financial support of a Steps scholarship, which was part-financed by the EU-European Social Fund under Operational Programme II-Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 ‘Empowering people for more jobs and better quality of life’.