ABSTRACT
Juniperus chinensis, commonly Chinese juniper, has been used for treating inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) effects of standardized J. chinensis fruits extract on murine oxazolone- and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced models of AD. Ear swelling, epidermis thickening, and eosinophils infiltration in the oxazolone-mediated dermatitis of BALB/c mice were significantly reduced upon topical application of J. chinensis fruits 95% EtOH extract (JCE). Besides, transdermal administration of JCE to SKH-1 hairless mice inhibited the development of DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions by suppressing transepidermal water loss and improving skin hydration. Decreased total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and interleukin (IL)-4 levels could be observed in atopic dorsal skin samples of JCE-treated group. According to the phytochemical analysis, JCE was found to contain isoscutellarein-7-O-ß-D-xyloside, cupressuflavone, and amentoflavone as main compounds. Therapeutic attempts with the J. chinensis fruits might be useful in the treatment of AD and related skin inflammatory diseases.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Dermatitis, Atopic/prevention & control , Fruit/chemistry , Juniperus/chemistry , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Skin/drug effects , Adjuvants, Immunologic/toxicity , Administration, Cutaneous , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/analysis , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/chemistry , Biflavonoids/administration & dosage , Biflavonoids/analysis , Biflavonoids/chemistry , Biflavonoids/therapeutic use , Dermatitis, Atopic/chemically induced , Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology , Dermatitis, Atopic/pathology , Dinitrochlorobenzene/toxicity , Female , Flavonoids/administration & dosage , Flavonoids/analysis , Flavonoids/chemistry , Flavonoids/therapeutic use , Fruit/growth & development , Glycosides/administration & dosage , Glycosides/analysis , Glycosides/chemistry , Glycosides/therapeutic use , Immunoglobulin E/analysis , Interleukin-4/blood , Irritants/toxicity , Juniperus/growth & development , Mice, Hairless , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Molecular Structure , Oxazolone/toxicity , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Republic of Korea , Skin/immunology , Skin/metabolism , Skin/pathologyABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The fruits of Juniperus rigida have been used in Korean traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in humans such as rheumatoid arthritis. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the anti-atopic properties of J. rigida fruit in in vivo murine atopic dermatitis (AD) models. METHODS AND RESULTS: BALB/c mouse ears ad SKH-1 hairless mice stimulated with oxazolone (4 weeks) and DNCB (3 weeks), respectively, were treated with the 1% Juniperus rigida fruit EtOH extract (JFE). The JFE improved AD symptoms in both oxazolone- and DNCB-induced AD mice by accelerating skin barrier recovery function and suppressing the overproduction of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and interleukin 4 (IL-4). The JFE was found to contain isoscutellarein-7-O-ß-xylopyranoside, cupressuflavone, podocarpusflavone A, and hinokiflavone as major components based on phytochemical analysis. Eight flavonoids were isolated from JFE, and of those, cupressuflavone and isoscutellarein-7-O-ß-xylopyranoside strongly down-regulated IL-4 expression and ß-hexosaminidase release in RBL-2H3 cells. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic attempts with J. rigida fruit and its active components might be useful in treating AD and related skin inflammatory diseases.