Background.
Inflammation, together with related oxidative stress, is linked with the etiology of
kwashiorkor, a form of
severe acute malnutrition in children. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant phytochemicals may offer potential for the prevention and treatment of
kwashiorkor. We selected and assayed five leafy green vegetables, two wild fruits, and six medicinal plants from Kenya for their
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Consensus regarding medicinal plant use was established from ethnobotanical data. Methods.
Antioxidant activity and phenolic content were determined using the
oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay and
Folin-Ciocalteu procedure, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in vitro targeting the inflammatory mediator tumour
necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Results. Mangifera indica (leaves used medicinally) showed the greatest
antioxidant activity (5940 ± 632 µM TE/µg) and total phenolic content (337 ± 3 mg GAE/g) but Amaranthus dubius (leafy vegetable) showed the greatest inhibition of TNF-α (IC50 = 9 ± 1 μg/mL), followed by Ocimum americanum (medicinal plant) (IC50 = 16 ± 1 μg/mL). Informant consensus was significantly correlated with anti-inflammatory effects among active medicinal plants (r (2) = 0.7639, P = 0.0228). Conclusions. Several plant species commonly consumed by Kenyan children possess activity profiles relevant to the prevention and treatment of
kwashiorkor and warrant further investigation.