Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of constituents isolated from Pueraria lobata roots.

In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Pueraria lobata roots and its active components, in vitro inhibitory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression, and tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in RAW 264.7 cells, as well as in vitro scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), nitric oxide (NO·), superoxide anion (·O(2)(-)) and total ROS, and inhibitory activities against ONOO(-)-mediated tyrosine nitration, were determined. Repeated column chromatography was performed to isolate four known compounds from the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant EtOAc fraction: daidzein; genistein; puerarin; (+)-puerarol B-2-O-glucopyranoside; four known compounds from the anti-inflammatory n-hexane fraction: lupenone; lupeol; puerarol; coumestrol; seven known compounds from the antioxidant n-BuOH fraction: allantoin; 3'-hydroxypuerarin; daidzein 8-C-apiosyl-(1→6)-glucoside; puerarin; genistin; 3'-methoxypuerarin; daidzin. Among these compounds, lupenone and lupeol reduced NO production, as well as iNOS and COX-2 protein levels in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, lupeol showed significant inhibitory activity against intracellular ROS generation by t-BHP. Meanwhile, 3'-hydroxypuerarin showed marked ONOO(-), NO·, total ROS scavenging activities, and weak ·O(2)(-) scavenging activity, while 3'-methoxypuerarin showed ONOO(-) scavenging activity and weak NO· and O(2)(-) scavenging activities, suggesting that existence of the 3'-hydroxyl group in puerarin plays an important role in the scavenging of ONOO(-), NO·, and total ROS, as well as inhibiting the ONOO(-)-mediated tyrosine nitration mechanism. These results indicate that P. lobata roots and its constituents may be a useful therapeutic and preventive approach to various inflammatory diseases and oxidative stress-related disease.

Extraction and identification of three major aldose reductase inhibitors from Artemisia montana.

Aldose reductase inhibitors (ARIs) provide an important therapeutic and preventive opportunity against hyperglycemia associated diabetic complications. The methanolic extracts of 12 species from the genus Artemisia exhibited significant in vitro rat lens AR (RLAR) inhibitory activities with IC(50) values ranging from 0.51 to 13.45 µg/mL (quercetin, 0.64 µg/mL). Since the whole plant of Artemisia montana showed the highest RLAR inhibitory activity, bioassay-guided fractionation was performed to obtain ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions. Repeated column chromatography of two active fractions, yielded fifteen compounds, including four chlorogenic acids (3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid), six flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, luteolin 7-rutinoside), and five coumarins (umbelliferone, scoparone, scopoletin, esculetin, and scopolin); their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic methods. 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and chlorogenic acid, as well as test flavonoids, displayed the most potent RLAR inhibitory activities with IC(50) values ranging from 0.19 to 5.37 µM. Furthermore, the HPLC profiles of the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions indicated that 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and hyperoside, as major compounds, might play crucial roles in RLAR inhibition. The results suggest that A. montana and three key AR inhibitors therein would clearly be potential candidates as therapeutic or preventive agents for diabetic complications.

Anti-tumorigenic activity of sophoflavescenol against Lewis lung carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

This study examined the in vitro cytotoxic activity and in vivo antitumor activity as well as intracellular apoptotic capacities of a prenylated flavonol, sophoflavescenol from Sophora flavescens, to evaluate prospective anti-tumorigenic drugs, and antitumor potential. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities were evaluated. Despite the small effect on human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), sophoflavescenol showed cytotoxicity against human leukaemia (HL-60), Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial (A549) cells. Interestingly, it also exerted potent in vivo antitumor activity by tumor growth inhibition in the LLC tumor model as well as apoptotic activity by caspase-3 activation in HL-60 cells. In addition, it exhibited potent antioxidant activities in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals and lipid peroxidation assays. Sophoflavescenol exerted notable anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide generation and tert-butylhydroperoxide-induced ROS generation rather than inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B activation in RAW 264.7 cells. The findings show that the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and apoptotic activities of sophoflavescenol might contribute to the antitumor activity without severe side effects, highlighting its potential for chemoprevention and/or anticancer drugs due to multi-effective targets in almost all stages of tumorigenesis, including initiation, promotion, and progression.

Anti-amnesic activity of neferine with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, as well as inhibition of ChEs and BACE1.

AIMS: the multifunctional potential of neferine derived from the embryo of Nelumbo nucifera seeds for the age-related neurodegenerative disorders, in vivo anti-amnesic activities and in vitro cholinesterases (ChEs)- and ß-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1)-inhibitory activities, as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities were investigated. MAIN METHODS: in vivo anti-amnesic activities were performed via the passive avoidance, Y-maze, and Morris water maze tasks in a scopolamine-induced amnesia model. The cell-free antioxidant capacities were evaluated by in vitro scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radicals, and peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), as well as inhibitory activities against nitric oxide (NO), superoxide anion (O(2)(-)), lipid peroxidation, and ONOO(-)-mediated tyrosine nitration. The intracellular antioxidant capacities were also determined via inhibitory activities of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO generation and NF-κB activation in RAW 264.7 cells. KEY FINDINGS: neferine showed significant improvement in cognitive impairment in scopolamine-induced amnesia animal models and moderate inhibitory activities in ChEs and BACE1 assays. In addition, it exhibited notable scavenging activities against DPPH, ABTS, NO, and O(2)(-) radicals, as well as ONOO(-). Neferine also demonstrated remarkable inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation and protein nitration in cell-free antioxidant assays and moderate inhibitory activity of NO generation with exceptional suppression of NF-κB activation in cell-based assays. SIGNIFICANCE: the results demonstrate that the anti-amnesic effect of neferine may be mediated via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, as well as inhibition of ChEs and BACE1.