Anti-inflammatory effects of kaempferol, myricetin, fisetin and ibuprofen in neonatal rats

Purpose: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of kaempferol, myricetin, fisetin and ibuprofen in rat pups.Methods: The expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by western blotting; the inhibition of these proteins by plant compounds was evaluated. In addition, a computational simulation of the molecular interactions of the compounds at the active sites of the proteins was performed using a molecular docking approach. Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) and toxicity analysis of the plant compounds was also performed.Results: Kaempferol, myricetin and fisetin inhibited the activities of COX-1, COX-2 and TNF-α by 70–88%. The computational simulation revealed the molecular interactions of these compounds at the active sites of COX-1, COX-2 and TNF-α. ADME and toxicity analysis demonstrated that the three plant compounds were safe.Conclusion: The data obtained indicate that myricetin, kaempferol and fisetin exert anti-inflammatory effects in neonatal rats, with fewer side effects than those of ibuprofen.Keywords: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, Cyclooxygenase-1, Cyclooxygenase-2, Tumour necrosis factor-α