In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial Activity and Anti-β-lactamase Inhibition of Lycium arabicum Extracts

Introduction: Lycium arabicum (LA), a medicinal herb historically utilized in Algerian folk medicine, is esteemed for its efficacy in addressing inflammatory conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and β-lactamase inhibitory properties of LA extracts. Methods: Four extracts by utilizing solvents with higher polarity: Aqueous (AqE), Ethyl Acetate (EaE), Chloroform (ChE), and Crude (CrE). The total flavonoid and polyphenol contents of each extract were determined. The phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced mouse ear edema model was used to test its anti-inflammatory efficacy. CrE (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly decreased edema relative to the control group, exhibiting inhibition rates of 44.07 ± 8.38% and 55.26 ± 9.75%, respectively. Results: The results were similar to those of diclofenac (57.89 ± 11.00%), and there were no significant differences between the CrE and diclofenac groups. When evaluated by disc diffusion against 11 ATCC strains, the antibacterial activity indicated that it worked against both Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria. The largest effect was on Staphylococcus aureus. For β- lactamase inhibition, (AqE) exhibited the strongest activity, showing 61–68% inhibition and reaching 80.72% at 5 mg/mL. The Crude Extract (CrE) achieved 43.91 ± 4.74% inhibition at 1.25 mg/mL. The EaE and ChE demonstrated moderate inhibitory effects, ranging from 15% to 31%. Discussion: LA extracts, particularly those abundant in flavonoids and polyphenols, demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory properties in vivo, alongside potential antibacterial and β- lactamase inhibitory actions. Conclusion: Lycium arabicum extracts may be a beneficial source of bioactive molecules with both anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties, even though they are not as strong as traditional inhibitors.