Phcog.Net logo
Submit

BROWSE ALL JOURNALS

    SEE ALL 6 JOURNALS
    Pharmacognosy MagazineNOW IN
    Article

    Anti-inflammatory Effects and Toxicity Study of Chemically Characterized Extracts from Juniperus thurifera (L.) and Juniperus phoenicea (L.)

    Soufyane Lafraxo1★, Amira Metouekel2, Fatima Ez-Zahra Amrati3, Otmane Zouirech4, Tarik Chelouati4, Aziz Drioiche5, Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar6, Samir Ibenmoussa7, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli6, Mohammed Bourhia8★, Abdelfattah El Moussaoui9, Amina Bari1★ Corresponding author

    1. 1Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Environment, Agri-Food and Health, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
    2. 2Department of Chemistry, Euromed Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Euromed University of Fez (UEMF) Route de Meknes, Fez, Morocco.
    3. 3Department of Biology, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics (LBCGM), Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Souss Massa, Morocco.
    4. 4Department of Biology, Laboratories of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health, and Quality of Life, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
    5. 5Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Innovative Materials and Biotechnology of Natural Resources, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco.
    6. 6Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
    7. 7Department of Biology, Laboratory of Therapeutic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
    8. 8Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Natural Resources Valorization, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco.
    9. 9Department of Biology, Plant Biotechnology Team, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    Soufyane Lafraxo

    Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Environment, Agri-Food and Health, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.

    Soufyane.lafraxo@usmba.ac.ma

    Received: 26-03-2024; Accepted: 18-07-2024.

    Volume 21, Issue 2 · pp. 662–672 · PUBLISHED 2025 · DOI: 10.1177/09731296241281500

    View on Pharmacogn. Mag. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Background: Moroccan traditional medicine utilizes Juniperus thurifera and Juniperus phoenicea to treat numerous ailments. Objectives: This research investigates the chemical composition, acute toxicity, and anti-inflammatory properties of J. thurifera (L.) and J. phoenicea (L.) hydroethanolic extracts. Materials and Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) identified the chemical makeup of J. phoenicea and J. thurifera hydroethanolic extracts. We tested the acute toxicity of hydroethanolic extracts of J. thurifera (T) and J. phoenicea (P) leaves in Wistar rats by gastric gavage at doses of 300, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg. Wistar rats were injected with 1% carrageenan in the plantar fascia to assess anti-inflammatory activity. Results: Chemical investigation of the extracts revealed gallic acid, urocanic acid, linalool, ferulic acid, and mefenamic acid. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels did not significantly vary based on biochemical markers, including urea, creatinine (CR), AST, and ALT. Both extracts increased CR and urea, especially J. phoenicea, at 1,000 mg/kg. The hydroethanolic extracts of J. phoenicea (P) and J. thurifera (T) demonstrated 100% and 40% edema-inhibiting action at 6 h, respectively. Conclusion: The investigated extracts exhibited a strong anti-inflammatory effect. However, they may harm the kidneys, particularly J. phoenicea, which may explain why J. thurifera is overused.

    KEYWORDS

    Open in new tab

    REFERENCES

    As published

    Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

      Cite this article

      SELECT FORMAT

      Lafraxo, S., Metouekel, A., Amrati, F. E., Zouirech, O., Chelouati, T., Drioiche, A., Gaafar, A. Z., Ibenmoussa, S., Alsahli, A. A., Bourhia, M., Moussaoui, A. E., & Bari, A. (2025). Anti-inflammatory Effects and Toxicity Study of Chemically Characterized Extracts from Juniperus thurifera (L.) and Juniperus phoenicea (L.). Pharmacognosy Magazine, 21(2), 662–672. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731296241281500