Bioactive Bioflavonoids from Platonia insignis (Bacuri) Residues as Added Value Compounds

Platonia insignis fruit, popularly known as bacuri, is traditionally used in folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Therefore, this study determined the chemical composition and biological activities of the bacuri’s shell and seeds extracts, considered residues from its consumption and industrial uses. Four biflavonoids (GB-2a, GB-1a, morelloflavone, and volkensiflavone) were identified in the extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD), liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and liquid chromatography-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-SPE-NMR) techniques. Morelloflavone was identified as the main compound in the shell ethyl acetate extract, being responsible for the high in vitro antioxidant (50% effective concentration (EC50) ranging from 8.0-10.5 µg mL−1 in different protocols), anti-glycant (80%), and moderate inhibition of nitric oxide (1.56 µg mL−1 for > 90% cell viability) activities. This extract showed promising in vivo anti-inflammatory activity evaluated through the paw edema protocol after its incorporation into a liquid-crystalline drug carrier system, reducing the edema by up to 31%. The results demonstrated the potential of the fruit for the development of drugs of natural origin and corroborated to add economic value to these discarded residues.

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Bioactive form of resveratrol in glioblastoma cells and its safety for normal brain cells

Functional Foods in Health and Disease ◽

10.31989/ffhd.v3i5.57 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

pp. 146 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiao-Hong Shu ◽

Hong Li ◽

Xiao-Xin Sun ◽

Zheng Sun ◽

Li-Li Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liquid Chromatography ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Brain Cells ◽

Normal Brain ◽

Glioblastoma Cells ◽

Wide Range ◽

U251 Cells

Background: Resveratrol, a plant polyphenol existing in grapes and many other natural foods, possesses a wide range of biological activities including cancer prevention. It has been recognized that resveratrol is intracellularly biotransformed to different metabolites, but no direct evidence has been available to ascertain its bioactive form because of the difficulty to maintain resveratrol unmetabolized in vivo or in vitro. It would be therefore worthwhile to elucidate the potential therapeutic implications of resveratrol metabolism using a reliable resveratrol-sensitive cancer cells.Objective: To identify the real biological form of trans-resveratrol and to evaluate the safety of the effective anticancer dose of resveratrol for the normal brain cells.Methods: The samples were prepared from the condition media and cell lysates of human glioblastoma U251 cells, and were purified by solid phase extraction (SPE). The samples were subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. According to the metabolite(s), trans-resveratrol was biotransformed in vitro by the method described elsewhere, and the resulting solution was used to treat U251 cells. Meanwhile, the responses of U251 and primarily cultured rat normal brain cells (glial cells and neurons) to 100μM trans-resveratrol were evaluated by multiple experimental methods.Results: The results revealed that resveratrol monosulfate was the major metabolite in U251 cells. About half fraction of resveratrol monosulfate was prepared in vitro and this trans-resveratrol and resveratrol monosulfate mixture showed little inhibitory effect on U251 cells. It is also found that rat primary brain cells (PBCs) not only resist 100μM but also tolerate as high as 200μM resveratrol treatment. Conclusions: Our study thus demonstrated that trans-resveratrol was the bioactive form in glioblastoma cells and, therefore, the biotransforming activity of trans-resveratrol would be reversely correlated with the chemosensitivity of the treated cells. The findings from PBCs suggest that an effective anti-glioblastoma dose of resveratrol may not exert side-effect on normal brain cells, providing a strong evidence for practical use of resveratrol in the management of human brain malignancies.Key words: Resveratrol, glioblastoma, drug metabolism

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Sesquiterpene Lactones: Promising Natural Compounds to Fight Inflammation

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics13070991 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 991

Author(s):

Melanie S. Matos ◽

José D. Anastácio ◽

Cláudia Nunes dos Santos

Keyword(s):

Biological Activities ◽

Sesquiterpene Lactones ◽

Physiological State ◽

Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽

Inflammatory Pathways ◽

Inflammatory State ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

Inflammatory Molecules

Inflammation is a crucial and complex process that reestablishes the physiological state after a noxious stimulus. In pathological conditions the inflammatory state may persist, leading to chronic inflammation and causing tissue damage. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are composed of a large and diverse group of highly bioactive plant secondary metabolites, characterized by a 15-carbon backbone structure. In recent years, the interest in SLs has risen due to their vast array of biological activities beneficial for human health. The anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds results from their ability to target and inhibit various key pro-inflammatory molecules enrolled in diverse inflammatory pathways, and prevent or reduce the inflammatory damage on tissues. Research on the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of SLs has thrived over the last years, and numerous compounds from diverse plants have been studied, using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo assays. Besides their anti-inflammatory potential, their cytotoxicity, structure–activity relationships, and pharmacokinetics have been investigated. This review aims to gather the most relevant results and insights concerning the anti-inflammatory potential of SL-rich extracts and pure SLs, focusing on their effects in different inflammatory pathways and on different molecular players.

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In Vitro Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of KMUP-1 and in Vivo Analysis of Its Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9060615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 615

Author(s):

Shang-En Huang ◽

Erna Sulistyowati ◽

Yu-Ying Chao ◽

Bin-Nan Wu ◽

Zen-Kong Dai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Articular Cartilage ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Gene Expressions ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthropathy that is mainly characterized by dysregulation of inflammatory responses. KMUP-1, a derived chemical synthetic of xanthine, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Here, we aimed to investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory and in vivo anti-osteoarthritis effects of KMUP-1. Protein and gene expressions of inflammation markers were determined by ELISA, Western blotting and microarray, respectively. RAW264.7 mouse macrophages were cultured and pretreated with KMUP-1 (1, 5, 10 μM). The productions of TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-2 and MMP- 9 were reduced by KMUP-1 pretreatment in LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells. The expressions of iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were also inhibited by KMUP-1 pretreatment. The gene expression levels of TNF and COX families were also downregulated. In addition, KMUP-1 suppressed the activations of ERK, JNK and p38 as well as phosphorylation of IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, SIRT1 inhibitor attenuated the inhibitory effect of KMUP-1 in LPS-induced NF-κB activation. In vivo study showed that KMUP-1 reduced mechanical hyperalgesia in monoiodoacetic acid (MIA)-induced rats OA. Additionally, KMUP-1 pretreatment reduced the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in MIA-injected rats. Moreover, macroscopic and histological observation showed that KMUP-1 reduced articular cartilage erosion in rats. Our results demonstrated that KMUP-1 inhibited the inflammatory responses and restored SIRT1 in vitro, alleviated joint-related pain and cartilage destruction in vivo. Taken together, KMUP-1 has the potential to improve MIA-induced articular cartilage degradation by inhibiting the levels and expression of inflammatory mediators suggesting that KMUP-1 might be a potential therapeutic agent for OA.

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Effects of prostaglandin lipid mediators on agonist-induced lung endothelial permeability and inflammation

AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajplung.00519.2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 313 (4) ◽

pp. L710-L721 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Yunbo Ke ◽

Olga V. Oskolkova ◽

Nicolene Sarich ◽

Yufeng Tian ◽

Albert Sitikov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Effect ◽

Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Cell Monolayer ◽

Endothelial Permeability ◽

In Vivo Model ◽

Barrier Dysfunction ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Prostaglandins (PG), the products of cyclooxygenase-mediated conversion of arachidonic acid, become upregulated in many situations including allergic response, inflammation, and injury, and exhibit a variety of biological activities. Previous studies described barrier-enhancing and anti-inflammatory effects of PGE2 and PGI2 on vascular endothelial cells (EC). Yet, the effects of other PG members on EC barrier and inflammatory activation have not been systematically analyzed. This study compared effects of PGE2, PGI2, PGF2α, PGA2, PGJ2, and PGD2 on human pulmonary EC. EC permeability was assessed by measurements of transendothelial electrical resistance and cell monolayer permeability for FITC-labeled tracer. Anti-inflammatory effects of PGs were evaluated by analysis of expression of adhesion molecule ICAM1 and secretion of soluble ICAM1 and cytokines by EC. PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2 exhibited the most potent barrier-enhancing effects and most efficient attenuation of thrombin-induced EC permeability and contractile response, whereas PGI2 effectively suppressed thrombin-induced permeability but was less efficient in the attenuation of prolonged EC hyperpermeability caused by interleukin-6 or bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide, LPS. PGD2 showed a modest protective effect on the EC inflammatory response, whereas PGF2α and PGJ2 were without effect on agonist-induced EC barrier dysfunction. In vivo, PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2 attenuated LPS-induced lung inflammation, whereas PGF2α and PGJ2 were without effect. Interestingly, PGD2 exhibited a protective effect in the in vivo model of LPS-induced lung injury. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of barrier-protective and anti-inflammatory effects of different prostaglandins on lung EC in vitro and in vivo and identifies PGE2, PGI2, and PGA2 as prostaglandins with the most potent protective properties.

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Mitoprotective Effects of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.: Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Opportunities in Neurodegenerative Disease

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.687935 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jia Hui Wong ◽

Anna M. Barron ◽

Jafri Malin Abdullah

Keyword(s):

Neurodegenerative Disease ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

Brain Aging ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Centella Asiatica ◽

Asiatic Acid ◽

Wide Range ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Natural products remain a crucial source of drug discovery for accessible and affordable solutions for healthy aging. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. (CA) is an important medicinal plant with a wide range of ethnomedicinal uses. Past in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that the plant extract and its key components, such as asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid and madecassoside, exhibit a range of anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cognitive benefits mechanistically linked to mitoprotective and antioxidant properties of the plant. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are key drivers of aging and neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Here we appraise the growing body of evidence that the mitoprotective and antioxidative effects of CA may potentially be harnessed for the treatment of brain aging and neurodegenerative disease.

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Evaluation of Topical Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Gel Formulation with Plantago Lanceolata, Achillea Millefolium, Aesculus Hippocastanum and Taxodium Distichum

Scientia Pharmaceutica ◽

10.3390/scipharm88020026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 88 (2) ◽

pp. 26

Author(s):

Anca Zanfirescu ◽

Georgiana Nitulescu ◽

Gheorghe Stancov ◽

Denise Radulescu ◽

Cosmin Trif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Activities ◽

Plantago Lanceolata ◽

Taxodium Distichum ◽

Aesculus Hippocastanum ◽

Achillea Millefolium ◽

Tail Flick ◽

Significant Prolongation ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Medicinal plants hold a significant place as alternative treatments available for inflammatory diseases, with many phytoconstituents being frequently tested in vitro for their biological activities. In the current study, we investigated the in vivo anti-inflammatory properties of a novel active gel formulation, combining Achillea millefolium and Taxodium distichum essential oils with extracts of Aesculus hippocastanum seeds and Plantago lanceolata leaves. The toxicity of the obtained extracts and volatile oils was determined using the invertebrate model based on Daphnia magna. Anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated by the plethysmometric method on Wistar rats, expressed as the inhibition of the inflammatory oedema (%IIO), while the antinociceptive response was determined on NMRI mice, according to the tail-flick latency method. The tested gel’s efficacy was similar to the 5% diclofenac standard (maximal %IIO of 42.01% vs. 48.70%, respectively), with the anti-inflammatory effect being observed sooner than for diclofenac. Our active gel also produced a significant prolongation of tail-flick latencies at both 60 and 120 min, comparable to diclofenac. Consequently, we can imply that the active constituents present in vivo anti-inflammatory properties, and the prepared gel may be suited for use as an alternative treatment of topical inflammatory conditions.

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In Vitro and In Vivo Immunomodulator Activities of Allium sativum L.

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2018/4984659 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mouna Moutia ◽

Norddine Habti ◽

Abdallah Badou

Keyword(s):

Immune Cells ◽

Allium Sativum ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Inflammatory Diseases ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Allergic Airway Inflammation ◽

Cytokine Gene Expression

Allium Sativum L. (garlic), which is a species of the onion family, Alliaceae, is one of the most used plants in traditional medicine worldwide. More than 200 chemicals with diverse properties have been found in garlic extracts. Several garlic compounds were suggested to be efficient in improving various pathologies including certain types of cancer. This paper is an overview of data about garlic biological activities in vitro and/or in vivo on immune cells, on the development of certain inflammatory diseases, and on different types of carcinomas and sarcomas. Garlic and its compounds were found to have notable antioxidant properties. Garlic therapeutic potential has also been studied in several inflammatory diseases such as allergic-airway inflammation, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritic rheumatism, and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, garlic was found to be able to maintain the immune system homeostasis and to exhibit beneficial effects on immune cells especially through regulation of proliferation and cytokine gene expression. Finally, we will show how major garlic components such as sulfur compounds and polyphenols might be responsible for the garlic biological activities revealed in different situations. If identified, specific compounds present in garlic could potentially be used in therapy.

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Further Evidence of Possible Therapeutic Uses of Sambucus nigra L. Extracts by the Assessment of the In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Its PLGA and PCL-Based Nanoformulations

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics12121181 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1181

Author(s):

Ana Henriques Mota ◽

Noélia Duarte ◽

Ana Teresa Serra ◽

António Ferreira ◽

Maria Rosário Bronze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oleic Acid ◽

Encapsulation Efficiency ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Sambucus Nigra ◽

Therapeutic Uses ◽

Solvent Displacement ◽

Different Types ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Sambucus nigra L. is widely used in traditional medicine with different applications. However, confirmative studies are strongly required. This study aimed to assess the biological activities of the S. nigra flower’s extract encapsulated into two different types of nanoparticles for optimizing its properties and producing further evidence of its potential therapeutic uses. Different nanoparticles (poly(lactide-co-glycolide, PLGA) and poly-Ɛ-caprolactone (PCL), both with oleic acid, were prepared by emulsification/solvent diffusion and solvent-displacement methods, respectively. Oleic acid was used as a capping agent. After the nanoparticles’ preparation, they were characterized and the biological activities were studied in terms of collagenase, in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory, and in vitro cell viability. Rutin and naringenin were found to be the major phenolic compounds in the studied extract. The encapsulation efficiency was higher than 76% and revealed to have an impact on the release of the extract, mainly for the PLGA. Moreover, biochemical and histopathological analyses confirmed that the extract-loaded PLGA-based nanoparticles displayed the highest anti-inflammatory activity. In addition to supporting the previously reported evidence of potential therapeutic uses of S. nigra, these results could draw the pharmaceutical industry’s interest to the novelty of the nanoproducts.

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Marinobufagenin Inhibits Neutrophil Migration and Proinflammatory Cytokines

Journal of Immunology Research ◽

10.1155/2019/1094520 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Deyse C. M. Carvalho ◽

Luiz Henrique Agra Cavalcante-Silva ◽

Éssia de A. Lima ◽

José G. F. M. Galvão ◽

Anne K. de A. Alves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Migration ◽

Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽

Proinflammatory Cytokine ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Neutrophil Migration ◽

Peritoneal Macrophages ◽

Cytokine Levels ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Cardiotonic steroids, such as ouabain and digoxin, are known to bind to Na+/K+-ATPase and to promote several biological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity. However, there are still no reports in the literature about inflammation and marinobufagenin, a cardiotonic steroid from the bufadienolide family endogenously found in mammals. Therefore, the aim of this work was to analyze, in vivo and in vitro, the role of marinobufagenin in acute inflammation. Swiss mice were treated with 0.56 mg/kg of marinobufagenin intraperitoneally (i.p.) and zymosan (2 mg/mL, i.p.) was used to induce peritoneal inflammation. Peritoneal fluid was collected and used for counting cells by optical microscopy and proinflammatory cytokine quantification (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) by immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA). Zymosan stimulation, as expected, induced increased cell migration and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the peritoneum. Marinobufagenin treatment reduced polymorphonuclear cell migration and IL-1β and IL-6 levels in the peritoneal cavity, without interfering in TNF-α levels. In addition, the effect of marinobufagenin was evaluated using peritoneal macrophages stimulated by zymosan (0.2 mg/mL) in vitro. Marinobufagenin treatment at different concentrations (10, 100, 1000, and 10000 nM) showed no cytotoxic effect on peritoneal macrophages. Interestingly, the lowest concentration, which did not inhibit Na+/K+-ATPase activity, attenuated proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. To investigate the putative mechanism of action of marinobufagenin, the expression of surface molecules (TLR2 and CD69) and P-p38 MAPK were also evaluated, but no significant effect was observed. Thus, our results suggest that marinobufagenin has an anti-inflammatory role in vivo and in vitro and reveals a novel possible endogenous function of this steroid in mammals.

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Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activity of Pollen Extract Collected by Stingless Bee Melipona fasciculata

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20184512 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (18) ◽

pp. 4512 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes ◽

Cleydlenne Costa Vasconcelos ◽

Francisco Assis Nascimento Pereira ◽

Rosa Helena Moraes Silva ◽

Pedro Felipe dos Santos Queiroz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Stingless Bee ◽

In Vitro Assays ◽

Pollen Extract ◽

Biological Potential ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

Analgesic Activities

The stingless bee, Melipona fasciculata Smith (Apidae, Meliponini), is a native species from Brazil. Their products have high biotechnological potential, however there are no studies about the biological activities of pollen collected by M. fasciculata. In this context, the present study investigated the chemical composition, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of hydroethanolic pollen extracts collected by M. fasciculata in three cities in Maranhão State, Brazil. We verified the antioxidant activity of the extracts and inhibitory activity against the cyclooxygenase enzyme using in vitro assays and in allowed to select the extract with higher efficiency to be used on in vivo assays. In these trials, the selected extract showed high anti-inflammatory activity as well as nociceptive effects at central and peripheral level, suggesting that this extract acts on inhibition of histamine release and decreased synthesis of prostaglandins and the in-silico study suggested that polyphenols and acids fatty acids in the extract may be associated with these activities. The results of the present study report the high biological potential of pollen extract and we conclude that the pollen collected by M. fasciculata can be considered as the object of research for new pharmacological alternatives.

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