Anti-inflammatory activity of Withania somnifera leaf extract in stainless steel implant induced inflammation in adult zebrafish

Implantation of biomaterials poses a huge risk of local inflammation therefore affecting the implant function leading to mortality in a significant number of cases. Thus, alternatively, naturally derived drugs if developed to treat implant induced inflammation, would therefore sharply decrease the largest risk of implant rejection. This study was aimed to investigate the anti inflammatory effect of Withania somnifera on stainless steel implant induced inflammation in adult zebrafish model. Fish were divided into four experimental groups of 6 fish each. Group 1 served as the control; Group 2 fish were stainless steel implant (SSI) inserted fish without treatment; Group 3 fish were SSI inserted + Thin layer chromatography (TLC) separated portion of supernatant of W. somnifera and Group 4 fish were SSI inserted + Ibuprofen treated. Fish were assessed for reduced inflammation by histopathology, local apoptosis using fluorescent quantification, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of inflammatory genes. The characterization of the TLC separated portion of the supernatant of W. somnifera was also performed. The histopathology result of Group 2 showed crypt architectural distortion in the muscle which was not found in the control fish, whereas simultaneously TLC separated portion of the supernatant of W. somnifera showed reduced fatty changes and fibrosis of the submucosa, muscular hyperplasia. RT-PCR result revealed that the TLC separated portion of supernatant of W. somnifera has a significant inhibition of TNFα in the adult zebrafish. In conclusion the observed anti-inflammatory activity of TLC separated portion of the supernatant of W. somnifera might be due to rich phenolic acids and flavonoids.