Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Methanolic Extract of Pericarp of Garcinia gummigutta: Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Production and Protein Denaturation

Inflammation plays a central role in the progression of various pathological conditionsand there is growing interest in identifying natural compounds with anti-inflammatory potential and minimal side effects. Garcinia gummigutta, traditionally used in South Asian medicine, contains several bioactive compounds that may offer therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract of the pericarp of G. gummigutta (MEG) through RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and protein denaturation assay. The cytotoxicity of MEG was assessed using the MTT assay, and sub-cytotoxic concentrations (1–10 µg/mL) were selected for further anti-inflammatory evaluations. Nitric oxide (NO) levels in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells after treatment with MEG was estimated through Griess reaction. Besides the protein denaturation assay was employed to assess the potential of MEG to prevent heat-induced denaturation of albumin. MEG significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NOproduction in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ value of 5.06±/ 0.67µg/mL, indicating modulation of the iNOS-mediated inflammatory pathway. Additionally, MEG demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of heat-induced protein denaturation, reaching 86.86±0.74% inhibition at 10µg/mL, which was comparable to the standard anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. The findings indicate that MEG exerts significant in vitro anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating NO production and inhibiting protein denaturation. These results support the therapeutic potential of G. gummigutta as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and holds promise as a natural therapeutic candidate for inflammation-related conditions.