ABSTRACT Low-grade chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are pivotal in many diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and aging, liver, and kidney diseases. The modern lifestyle is bloated by higher consumption of processed foods, increased exposure to environmental and industrial toxins and pollutants, and the lack of physical activity; all increases the prevalence of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Natural and medicinal plants still contain compounds that can be extracted for usage as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories with lesser negative side effects compared to clinical and over-the-counter synthetic medicines. DPPH radical scavenging assay was performed to establish the antioxidant potential of five Medicago sativa L. leaf extracts and then to evaluate the anti-inflammatory bioactivity of Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa) leaf. The anti-inflammatory assay was performed towards the muscarine (mouse) macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, whereby EGCG and Trolox served as controls. To confirm the absence of cytotoxicity cell viability was assessed using methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The water extract showed the best DPPH scavenging action. All the other extracts resulted in comparatively poor DPPH scavenging activity, except for the butanol and methanol extracts at 400 µg/ml. The aqueous, butanol, methanol and hexane extracts of Medicago Sativa L. leaves exhibited promising anti-inflammatory actions, thus confirming Alfac-facah tea usage as a beneficial non-drug daily supplement for the maintenance of health and wellness, particularly towards diabetes and hyperglycemia, microbial infections, and inflammation/oxidative-stress.
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