Pharmacognostic and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Securigera Securidaca Seeds and Seed Oil

Background and objectives: although weed plants are considered undesirable in a particular situation, some weed seeds can be a valuable and cheap source of therapeutic natural compounds. securigera securidaca (l.) degen & dorfl (fabaceae) is widely distributed in europe, australia and asia as a weed plant. this study investigated the bioactive compounds of s. securidaca seeds as well as its potential anti-inflammatory properties. methods: the fatty acid and sterol content were investigated with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (gc-ms) and phenolic compounds were detected using high performance thin layer chromatography (hptlc). the thermostability of the oil was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (dsc). formalin-induced paw licking test and myeloperoxidase activity were investigated. the study was conducted by creating six groups of rats including a control group (vehicle-treated rats, 250 μl/kg, i.p.), formalin group (50 μl of 2.5% formalin), positive control (paracetamol, 100 mg/kg, i.p), and groups of s. securidaca seed oil (250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 μl/kg, i.p). results: s. securidaca seeds contained a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acid content including linoleic acid (64.602 ± 0.793%) and oleic acid (15.353 ± 0.461%). stigmasterol and campesterol were not detected in the oil but it contained esterified β-sitosterol (6.621 ± 0.08 mg/g). the seed oil couldn’t create a significant reduction in the mpo activity. it showed a slight but not significant effect on formalin-induced pain reduction. conclusion: the seed is a rich source of linoleic acid which makes it a good candidate to be used in the pharmaceutical industry.