ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA (LAB) ISOLATED FROM ‘OGI’ USING LAMBDA-CARRAGEENAN INDUCED PAW OEDEMA IN WISTAR RATS

Abstract

Inflammation is part of the body’s defense mechanism in which the immune system recognizes harmful stimuli and begins the healing process. Ideally, inflammation is an indicator of invasion in the immune system, however, it can pose a life-threatening risk to an individual when it is prolonged and unresolved. In this study, the ability of Lactic acid Bacteria isolated from ‘ogi’, a Nigerian based fermented cereal-based food to resolve inflammation in carrageenan induced paw oedema model of Wistar rat was evaluated. Wistar albino rats were grouped into six of three rats each. Preliminary identification of isolates was carried out using morphological and conventional biochemical characterization. Further identification of isolates to strain level was carried out using molecular technique. Apparently healthy rats with exception of Group F were induced with 0.1 ml of 1% freshly prepared Lambda-carrageenan into their right hind paws. Diclofenac Sodium was used to treat group A, Group B received no treatment, Groups C, D, and E were treated with the three LABs that were isolated from ‘Ogi’ while Group F was neither induced nor treated. The dose of the LAB treatment was 5×107 CFU/mL while the dose of diclofenac sodium used was 150mg/kg body weight of rats. Paw thickness were measured at 1, 4, 8, 24, 72, 168 and 336 hours after the inducement with vernier calipers. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), total red blood cell (RBC) and White blood cell (WBC) was performed on rat blood samples. Differential leukocyte counts were carried using microscopy. Assay for C-reactive protein (CRP), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Transforming Growth factor-Beta (TGF-β) was carried out using ELISA. The LAB isolated from ‘ogi’ samples were molecularly identified as L. fermentum NBRC 15885, L. plantarum CIP 103151 and L. pentosus CIP 124-2. L. plantarum CIP 103151 was effective in regulating high CRP level of inflamed rats. L. pentosus CIP 124-2

and L. fermentum NBRC 15885 were able to modulate the RBC count of groups C, D and E while L fermentum NBRC 15855 and Lactobacillus pentosus 124-2 both had notable effect on neutrophil infiltration (i.e., decrease). L. plantarum CIP 103151 was the most effective in regulating CRP level in the blood of experimental rats at 8 hours to 805.5±0.00ng/ml while L. fermentum NBRC 15885 and L. pentosus CIP 124-2 were both able to stimulate the production of IL-10 to 114.2±0.58 and 95.69±0.058 pg/ml respectively at 1 hour time frame. L. pentosus CIP 124-2 was the most effective in the upregulation of TGF-β serum level at 508.4±0.058pg/ml. L. fermentum NBRC 15885, L. plantarum CIP 103151 and L. pentosus CIP 124-2 possess anti-inflammatory properties, which enables them to suppress the effect of carrageenan-induced paw oedema in Wistar rats. They did this by specific production of antiinflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory mediators.