Inhibitory Effect of Canavalia gladiata Extract on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans LPS Induced Nitric Oxide in Macrophages.

Objectives

Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. (C. gladiata) has been used in traditional medicine to treat suppurative inflammatory conditions. Its antibacterial activity against oral pathogens and potential use as a non-alcoholic mouthwash have also been reported. This study aimed to elucidate the biological activity of Con A from C. gladiata, evaluate nitric oxide (NO) production induced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans), and as-sess its potential association with periodontal inflammation.

Methods

In this study, a 0.5 M NaCl extract of C. gladiata (CGENa) was prepared, and its protein content was quantified. The Concanavalin A equivalent (Con Aeq.) of CGENa was determined via a hemagglutination assay, and its effect on NO production was evaluated in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS-A.a.) derived from A. actinomycetemcomitans. LPS was extracted from six A. actinomycetemcomitans strains and used to induce inflammatory activation. Result: CGENa treatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced NO production at concentrations below 6.25 μg/mL without cytotoxic effects, suggesting an anti-inflammatory potential associated with lectin-like components.

Conclusions

These results suggest that C. gladiata extract suppresses LPS-A.a.-mediated macrophage activation. Further studies are required to determine whether Con A specifically mediates this response and to evaluate its therapeutic relevance in the context of periodontal inflammation.