The effect of age, season and growth conditions on anti-inflammatory activity in Eucomis autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. Plant extracts

Eucomis (Family Hyacinthaceae) bulbs are greatly valued in traditional medi cine for the treatment of a variety of ailments, predominantly those involv ing pain, fever and inflammation. The COX-1 assay was used to screen ethano lic extracts prepared from the dried leaves, bulbs and roots of E. autumnal is (subspecies autumnalis) to determine the variation of anti-inflammatory activity with age and season of harvest. Young plants were found to have la rge amounts of COX-1 inhibitory activity, particularly in the leaves. As th e plant matured, greater activity was associated with the bulb and root ext racts. The anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf, bulb and root extracts v aried slightly throughout the year, with the greatest levels detected towar ds the end of the growing season, shortly before the onset of dormancy. A s eaweed application (Kelpak) decreased the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf, bulb and root extracts, while increased temperature/increased light intensity had no significant effect on the COX-1 inhibitory activity of the leaf extracts. The bulb extracts from treated plants harvested towards the end of the growing season showed a significant decrease in anti-inflammato ry activity, while the anti-inflammatory activity of the corresponding not root extracts increased.