RESUMEN
In the present study, the chemical constituents of Artemisia fukudo essential oil (AFE) were investigated using GC-MS. The major constituents were alpha-thujone (48.28%), beta-thujone (12.69%), camphor (6.95%) and caryophyllene (6.01%). We also examined the effects of AFE on the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, and IL-6, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Western blotting and RT-PCR tests indicated that AFE has potent dose-dependent inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators. We investigated the mechanism by which AFE inhibits NO and PGE(2) by examining the level of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation within the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, which is an inflammation-induced signal pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. AFE inhibited LPS-induced ERK, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation. Furthermore, AFE inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation and degradation of Ikappa-B-alpha, which is required for the nuclear translocations of the p50 and p65 NF-kappaB subunits in RAW 264.7 cells. Our results suggest that AFE might exert an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Such an effect is mediated by a blocking of NF-kappaB activation which consequently inhibits the generation of inflammatory mediators in RAW264.7 cells. AFE may be useful for treating inflammatory diseases.
Asunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/farmacología , Artemisia/química , Macrófagos/efectos de los fármacos , Proteínas Quinasas Activadas por Mitógenos/antagonistas & inhibidores , FN-kappa B/antagonistas & inhibidores , Aceites Volátiles/farmacología , Aceites de Plantas/farmacología , Animales , Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/química , Línea Celular , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Citocinas/metabolismo , Regulación hacia Abajo , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas , Expresión Génica , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Mediadores de Inflamación/antagonistas & inhibidores , Mediadores de Inflamación/fisiología , Macrófagos/inmunología , Macrófagos/metabolismo , Ratones , Proteínas Quinasas Activadas por Mitógenos/genética , FN-kappa B/genética , Aceites Volátiles/química , Aceites de Plantas/química , ARN Mensajero/metabolismoRESUMEN
AIMS: To inhibit the growth of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa using a rice straw extract. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cell numbers of the algal strain M. aeruginosa UTEX 2388 significantly decreased after treatment with different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg l(-1)) of a rice straw extract for an 8-day cultivation period. Among seven tested allelochemicals from rice straw, salicylic acid at 0.1 mg l(1) exhibited the highest allelopathic activity (26%) on day 8. A synergistic effect on algal growth inhibition was found when adding two or three phenolic compounds from the rice straw. CONCLUSIONS: The growth of M. aeruginosa was inhibited by rice straw extract concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 10 mg l(1). This activity was due to the synergistic effects of various phenolic compounds in the rice straw. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The identification of rice straw as an effective material for the growth inhibition of M. aeruginosa implies it may have the potential to be used as an environment-friendly biomaterial for controlling the algal bloom of M. aeruginosa in eutrophic water.