Evaluation of the immunomodulatory effect against splenocytes of Balb/c mice of biflorin obtained from Capraria biflora by a new isolation method

Abstract Biflorin (6,9-dimethyl-3-(4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl) benzo[de]chromene-7,8-dione) is a promising substance that has been increasingly studied in the past decades due to its diverse pharmacological properties (i.e. antitumor, antioxidant, antiinflamatory, antimicrobial activity etc.). Aiming the comprehension of its antitumoral activity we investigated the cell proliferation and cytotoxicity habilities of biflorin against mice splenocytes Balb/c. Biflorin was able to stimulate mice splenocytes Balb/c in 48 h of incubation at a concentration of 20.2 µM. Its immunostimulation promoted the production of cytokines such as: TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-17, inducing the immune profile toward a Th1 response. Moreover, an original method which led to an excellent yield with less processing time compared to the methods described in the literature was developed to obtain biflorin, from sawdust of Capraria biflora L., Scrophulariaceae. This method shows a great potential of increasing the production of this pharmacological active compound.

Biflorin Ameliorates Memory Impairments Induced by Cholinergic Blockade in Mice

To examine the effect of biflorin, a component of Syzygium aromaticum, on memory deficit, we introduced a scopolamine-induced cognitive deficit mouse model. A single administration of biflorin increased latency time in the passive avoidance task, ameliorated alternation behavior in the Y-maze, and increased exploration time in the Morris water maze task, indicating the improvement of cognitive behaviors against cholinergic dysfunction. The biflorin-induced reverse of latency in the scopolamine-treated group was attenuated by MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist. Biflorin also enhanced cognitive function in a naïve mouse model. To understand the mechanism of biflorin for memory amelioration, we performed Western blot. Biflorin increased the activation of protein kinase C-ζ and its downstream signaling molecules in the hippocampus. These results suggest that biflorin ameliorates drug-induced memory impairment by modulation of protein kinase C-ζ signaling in mice, implying that biflorin could function as a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of cognitive problems.