Identification of ß-Sitosterol as in Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Constituent in Moringa oleifera.

ß-Sitosterol is a well known phytosterol in plants, but owing to its poor solubility in typical media, determining its cellular mechanisms has been proven to be difficult. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of ß-sitosterol (BSS) isolated from Moringa oleifera in two cell lines. Over a dose range of 7.5 to 30 µM, BSS dispersed well in the medium as nanoparticles with diameters of 50 ± 5 nm and suppressed the secretion of inflammatory factors from keratinocytes and macrophages induced by PGN, TNF-α, or LPS, such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and ROS, separately. In addition, BSS significantly reduced the expression of NLRP3, a key component of NLRP3 inflammasomes, and inhibited the activation of caspase-1. There was partial inhibition of NF-κB in macrophages. This is the first study to report an increase in the solubility of nearly water-insoluble phytosterols via the formation of nanoparticles and to delineate the formulation's capacity to inhibit the signal transduction pathways of inflammation in macrophages.

Chemical composition and anti-mildew activities of essential oils from different parts of Michelia compressa var.formosana.

In this study, anti-mildew activities of the essential oils of the leaves, wood, twigs, flowers, and their constituents from Michelia comnpressa var. formosana were evaluated in vitro against 7 mildew fungi. The main compounds responsible for the anti-mildew activities were isolated and identified. The essential oils from the fresh leaves, wood, twigs, and flowers of M. compressa var. formosana were isolated using hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by GC-FID and GC-MS. The essential oil yield from the flowers was the highest, and the oils obtained from the 4 parts of the tree were composed mainly of sesquiterpenoids. The leaf oil consisted primarily of α-cadinol (18.9%) and germacrene D (18.5%); the twig oil's main constituent was α-cadinol (19.1%); the wood oil's major components were α-cadinol (25.7%) and ß-eudesmol (20.2%); and the flower oil contained α-cadinol (11.4%). Comparing the anti-mildew activities of the oils suggested that wood oil was the most effective. Further fractionation of the wood oil produced α-cadinol, ß-eudesmol, τ-cadinol, and elemol. The 4 compounds exhibit very strong anti-mildew activities, and these in descending order are α-cadinol, elemol, ß-eudesmol, and τ-cadinol. For the anti-mildew activities of the wood oil, the active source compounds were determined to be α-cadinol, elemol, ß-eudesmol, and τ-cadinol.

Composition and antimicrobial activities of the leaf essential oil of Machilus kusanoi from Taiwan.

The hydrodistillated leaf essential oil of Machilus kusanoi was analyzed to determine its composition and yield. Twenty-three compounds were identified, the main components being beta-caryophyllene (23.3%), beta-eudesmol (17.1%), alpha-terpineol (16.0%), n-dodecanal (14.2%), and n-decanal (10.4%). Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (28.1%) and non-terpenoids (25.0%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antimicrobial and anti-wood-decay fungal activities.

Composition and antifungal activities of the leaf essential oil of Litsea coreana from Taiwan.

The hydrodistilled leaf essential oil of Litsea coreana was analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Fifty-two compounds were identified, the main components being n-decanal (27.5%), 2E,6E-farnesol (25.8%), beta-eudesmol (10.3%), ethyl n-dodecanoate (8.0%) and tau-cadinol (6.6%). Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (56.8%) and non-terpenoids (37.0%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antifungal and anti-wood-decay fungal activities.

Composition and antimicrobial and anti-wood-decay fungal activities of the leaf essential oils of Machilus pseudolongifolia from Taiwan.

The hydrodistillated leaf essential oil of Machilus pseudolongifolia was analyzed to determine its composition and yield. Seventy compounds were identified, the main components being beta-eudesmol (26.8%), alpha-cadinol (20.8%), viridiflorene (8.9%), alpha-caryophyllene (5.3%), globulol (4.6%) and beta-caryophyllene (4.2%). Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (60.1%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (31.4%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antimicrobial and anti-wood-decay fungal activities.

Composition and anti-wood-decay fungal activities of the leaf essential oil of Machilus philippinensis from Taiwan.

The hydrodistilled leaf essential oil of Machilus philippinensis was analyzed to determine its composition and yield. Seventy compounds were identified, the main ones being beta-caryophyllene (13.6%), alpha-pinene (12.0%), alpha-cadinol (7.4%), cis-ocimene (7.0%), spathulenol (5.6%), (E)-nerolidol (5.3%), tau-cadinol (4.8%) and beta-pinene (4.5%). Monoterpene hydrocarbons (36.1%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (33.0%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent anti-wood-decay fungal activities.

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the leaf essential oil of Litsea kostermansii from Taiwan.

The hydrodistillated leaf essential oil of Litsea kostermansii was analyzed to determine its composition and yield. Seventy-three compounds were identified, the main components being beta-eudesmol (22.5%), gamma-eudesmol (18.6%), delta-selinene (8.5%), alpha-eudesmol (6.0%), and gamma-muurolene (4.7%). Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (66.2%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (32.8%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities.