Abstract:
Tragopogon porrifolius (Purple salsify) is commonly known as the oyster plant or vegetable oyster. It is cultivated for its florid flower, edible root and shoot, and herbal qualities. The present research project investigates the effects of the water extract of Tragopogon porrifolius shoot upon lipemia, glycemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity and gastric ulcer using a rat model. After one month of Tragopogon porrifolius water extract intake (50, 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight) via drinking water, animals exhibited a significant decrease in the levels of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and liver enzyme (ALP, ALT, LDH). Pretreatment of the rats with the extract at 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory effects in both acute (51, 82, 92%) and chronic (18, 59, 85%) inflammation induced by carrageenan and formalin respectively. The extract also showed effective anti-ulcerogenic property (42, 64 and 76%) against ethanol induced gastric ulcer. Consistent dose dependent protection against paracetamol induced toxicity was observed after testing the serum levels of ALT, ALP, AST and LDH. Tragopogon porrifolius also revealed effective anti-oxidant capacity due to its notable scavenging activity against 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (81 %). In conclusion, it can be inferred that Tragopogon porrifolius provides a potential source of therapeutic herbal supplements.
