The coumarin herniarin as a sensitizer in German chamomile [Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert, Compositae].

BACKGROUND: Although German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) is considered a weak sensitizer, recent studies have shown several possible non-sesquiterpene lactone allergens in tea (infusions) from the plant. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to report the results of patch testing with herniarin (7-methoxycoumarin), which is one of the possible coumarin allergens in chamomile. PATIENTS/MATERIALS/METHODS: Between 1991 and 2009, selected patients with known or suspected Compositae contact allergy were patch tested with herniarin 1% petrolatum. RESULTS: Among 36 patients tested, there was one positive and three doubtful positive reactions to herniarin. All 4 patients had a relevant contact allergy to German chamomile, whereas the majority of the remaining 32 patients had chamomile allergy of unknown relevance. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical results suggest that herniarin indeed is one of the non-sesquiterpene lactone sensitizers in German chamomile and that sensitization may occur through, for example, external use of chamomile tea or use of chamomile-containing topical herbal remedies.

Enhanced resistance to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection in mice after coumarin treatment.

Coumarin and its derivatives are naturally occurring substances with multiple biological activities. Here we demonstrate that prophylactic peroral administration of coumarin or 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-OHC) enhances resistance to subsequent lethal Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium infection in mice. 7-OHC decreased bacterial load in liver and spleen, and enhanced phagocytosis and bacterial killing by macrophages when applied in vitro and in vivo. 7-OHC treatment induced significant NO release in peritoneal macrophage cultures. The observed protective effect correlated with the induction of Th1-associated cytokines, such as IL-12, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha. These data demonstrate a clear immunomodulatory potential of coumarins which might have important therapeutic implications to enhance resistance to infection.

A single-step method for the purification of anti-FITC antibodies by use of a coumarin immunosorbent.

Monoclonal anti-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) antibody cross-reacts with 7-hydroxy coumarin derivatives conjugated to BSA. This property permitted the affinity purification of monoclonal anti-FITC antibodies from ascitic fluid using an-immunosorbent consisting of a 7-hydroxy coumarin derivative linked to Sepharose 4B. Ascitic fluid was applied to the immunosorbent column and, after washing, the bound antibody was eluted under extremely mild conditions using 3 M MgCl2. Antibody eluted in this manner was greater than 96% pure as assessed by SDS-PAGE. A polyclonal sheep anti-FITC antibody was also purified from serum on the same immunosorbent to greater than 94% purity. This simple and rapid method for the purification of anti-FITC antibodies will find applications in both immunodiagnostic procedures and in studies of hapten-antibody interactions. The affinity constant of the purified monoclonal anti-FITC antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was assessed by ELISA and was found to be 1.5 x 19(9) M-1.

Antibody-based approaches to coumarin analysis.

7-Hydroxycoumarin (7-HC) was chemically conjugated by diazo coupling to carrier proteins such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), thyroglobulin and ovalbumin. These conjugates were characterised by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Rabbits were immunised using the 7-HC-BSA conjugate. The highest antibody titre achieved was 1:10,000, as determined by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The resulting antibodies were purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, followed by protein A affinity chromatography. Their purity was assessed by SDS-PAGE and HPLC. These antibodies have been used in the development of a competitive ELISA, an amperometric biosensor and an electrochemical immunoassay. Both the ELISA and amperometric biosensor have been successfully applied to the analysis of 7-HC and its glucuronide conjugate in human urine samples. Each of these antibody-based methods provides a novel approach to the analysis of the main metabolites of coumarin.

Immunosuppressive activity of daphnetin, one of coumarin derivatives, is mediated through suppression of NF-κB and NFAT signaling pathways in mouse T cells.

Daphnetin, a plant-derived dihydroxylated derivative of coumarin, is an effective compound extracted from a plant called Daphne Korean Nakai. Coumarin derivates were known for their antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. The present study was aimed to determine the immunosuppressive effects and the underlying mechanisms of daphnetin on concanavalin A (ConA) induced T lymphocytes in mice. We showed that, in vitro, daphnetin suppressed ConA-induced splenocyte proliferation, influenced production of the cytokines and inhibited cell cycle progression through the G0/G1 transition. The data also revealed that daphnetin could down-regulate activation of ConA induced NF-κB and NFAT signal transduction pathways in mouse T lymphocyte. In vivo, daphnetin treatment significantly inhibited the 2, 4- dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) -induced delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in mice. Collectively, daphnetin had strong immunosuppressive activity both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential role for daphnetin as an immunosuppressive agent, and established the groundwork for further research on daphnetin.

Development of an antibody-based amperometric biosensor to study the reaction of 7-hydroxycoumarin with its specific antibody.

An amperometric biosensor, based on an anti-7-hydroxycoumarin (7-OH-coumarin) antibody immobilized at the surface of a glassy carbon electrode, and contained behind a cellulose dialysis membrane, is described. The electrochemical behaviour of this metabolite at the bare glassy carbon electrode was found to be well defined by using differential-pulse voltammetry, and a 90% decrease in peak height was observed on binding of the antibody to the antigen, which occurs at the electroactive site of 7-OH-coumarin. The kinetics of the antibody-antigen reaction was investigated and a first-order reaction was observed with k = 0.0329 mA min-1. This system provides a novel method for studying antibody specificity and the kinetics of such antibody-antigen interactions.

The sensitizing capacity of coumarins (II).

5 coumarins used in perfumery, cosmetics, therapeutic ointments or occurring naturally were investigated by Freund's complete adjuvant technique (FCAT) in guinea pigs to determine their contact sensitizing potency. 4-Methylesculetin was also studied. Esculetin, dihydrocoumarin and daphnetin were found to be moderate to strong sensitizers, while fraxetin was nearly and 7-methylcoumarin completely inactive. The results corroborate the hypothetical view that only those coumarins having a catecholic disubstitution in the benzene ring, e.g., esculetin, 4-methylesculetin, daphnetin, can become sensitizers on the basis that they are capable of forming ortho-quinones under oxidizing conditions.

Rapid fluorogenic assay for differentiation of the Candida parapsilosis group from other Candida spp.

A 30-min fluorogenic test was developed for differentiation of members of the Candida parapsilosis group from other Candida species commonly encountered in clinical material. The fluorogenic substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside, was utilized to assay beta-glucosidase activity. A total of 50 C. parapsilosis isolates and 135 isolates of four other Candida species were tested. Assay sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 99.3%, respectively. The procedure was adapted for use with a spectrofluorometer.

Physicochemical consequences of opsonization: perturbation of liposomal membranes by Salmonella typhimurium 395 MS opsonized with IgG antibodies.

When phagocytosis-resistant Salmonella typhimurium 395 MS bacteria sensitized with anti-MS IgG antibodies were incubated with liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and dicetylphosphate, a previously sequestered liposomal marker (4-methylumbelliferylphosphate) was released. Unsensitized or F(ab')2-sensitized bacteria had no such effect. This perturbation was neither dependent upon negatively charged dicetylphosphate nor upon cholesterol. It was further evident that palmitoyl-poly(ethyleneglycol) caused release of the trapped marker in a similar way as sensitized bacteria. These findings demonstrate a similarity between sensitized bacteria and a hydrophobic probe and lend support to the hypothesis that the perturbation was brought about by hydrophobic interaction. The observations indicate that liposomes, like phagocytes, possess "receptor sites" for the activated part of IgG and raise the possibility that phagocytic effectors can operate in a relatively nonspecific manner.