ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oil of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco leaves (VOPF) and the underlying molecular mechanisms by using the non-infectious inflammation rat models and infectious inflammation mouse models. Ear swelling and intraperitoneal capillary permeability in mice, and carrageenan-induced toe swelling and cotton ball-induced granuloma in rats were used to reveal anti-inflammatory effects of VOPF. Moreover, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of acute lung injury was used to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of VOPF. The results showed that VOPF could significantly inhibit auricular swelling, intraperitoneal capillary permeability in mice, and reduce granuloma swelling and paw swelling in rats. Furthermore, it significantly alleviated the pathological damage of the lung tissue. In addition, VOPF could reduce the contents of IL-1ß and TNF-α and increase the content of IL-10 in the serum. It had little effect on the expression of p65 but reduced the phosphorylation level of p65 and IκB in NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, VOPF has anti-inflammatory effects and the mechanisms involve the down-regulation of the phosphorylation levels of p65 and IκB and blockage of the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , I-kappa B Proteins/metabolism , Oils, Volatile/therapeutic use , Plant Oils/therapeutic use , Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Capillary Permeability , Carrageenan/toxicity , Ear Diseases/drug therapy , Ear Diseases/etiology , Edema/drug therapy , Edema/etiology , Granuloma/drug therapy , Granuloma/etiology , I-kappa B Proteins/genetics , Interleukins/genetics , Interleukins/metabolism , Lipopolysaccharides/toxicity , Lung/drug effects , Lung/metabolism , Male , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Pinales/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Pneumonia/drug therapy , Pneumonia/etiology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Signal Transduction , Transcription Factor RelA/genetics , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolismABSTRACT
The fruits from the Chilean Podocarpaceae Prumnopitys andina have been consumed since pre-Hispanic times. Little is known about the composition and biological properties of this fruit. The aim of this work was to identify the secondary metabolites of the edible part of P. andina fruits and to assess their antioxidant activity by means of chemical and cell-based assays. Methanol extracts from P. andina fruits were fractionated on a XAD7 resin and the main compounds were isolated by chromatographic means. Antioxidant activity was determined by means of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), ferric reducing power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. The cytoprotective activity of the extract against oxidative and dicarbonyl stress was evaluated in human gastric epithelial cells (AGS). The total intracellular antioxidant activity (TAA) of the extract was determined in AGS cells. The inhibition of meat lipoperoxidation was evaluated under simulated gastric digestion conditions. Rutin, caffeic acid ß-glucoside and 20-hydroxyecdysone were identified as major components of the fruit extract. Additional compounds were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography diode-array detector mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MSn) and/or co-injection with standards. Extracts showed dose-dependent cytoprotective effects against oxidative and dicarbonyl-induced damage in AGS cells. The TAA increased with the pre-incubation of AGS cells with the extract. This is the first report on the composition and biological activity of this Andean fruit.