Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract and its single components on monosodium urate-induced pain in vivo and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible antinociceptive effects of Salvia (S.) miltiorrhiza Bunge and its single components in monosodium urate (MSU)-induced pain model in mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation model in RAW264.7 cells. METHODS: Pretreatment of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract (from 1 to 50 µg/mL) concentration-dependently attenuated LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The extract of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge (50 or 100 mg/kg) also caused reversals of decreased threshold for pain in the MSU-treated group as measured by Von-Frey test. Furthermore, we assessed the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the active single components from S. miltiorrhiza Bunge such as 15, 16-dihydrotanshinone Ⅰ tanshinone Ⅱ cryptotanshinone, miltirone, tanshinone ⅡA, and salvianolic acid B. Some of them showed an anti-inflammatory effect in LPS-induced NO release model and an antinociceptive effect in MSU-treated pain model. RESULTS: Our results suggest that S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract may exert anti-inflammatory effect by reducing LPS-induced NO release and an antinociceptive property in MSU-treated pain model. Especially, tanshinoneⅡA, miltirone, cryptotanshinone, and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone Ⅰ not only appear to be responsible for LPS-induced NO release induced by S. miltiorrhiza Bunge, but also in the production of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge extract-induced antinociception in MSU-treated pain model. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory property of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge indicate it as a therapeutic potential candidate for the treatment of pain and inflammation.

Synergetic Hepatoprotective Effects of Korean Red Ginseng and Pueraria Radix on the Liver Damaged-Induced by Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) in Mice

This study was designed to investigate the synergetic hepatoprotective effects from a mixture of Korean Red Ginseng and Pueraria Radix on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Liver toxicity was induced by intraperitoneal administration of CCl₄ (0.6 mg/kg) in 12 groups of ICR mice. The negative control group was given CCl₄ without test samples and the normal group was given no treatment. Among treatment groups, the RGAP treatment (Korean Red ginseng acetic acid extract : Pueraria Radix water extract, w/w, 38.4:57.6) decreased CCl₄-elevated ALT (101.60 IU/L), AST (833.89 IU/L), and LDH (365.02 IU/L) levels in the serum, and increased the SOD (11.03 unit/mg protein) and CAT (0.37 unit/mg protein) levels and the LPO levels (59.09 µM/g tissue) more than that in the mice group with CCl₄-induced control group hepatotoxicity. These results suggest that administration of a mixture of Korean Red ginseng and Pueraria Radix decreases CCl₄-induced liver damage and enhances antioxidant activity in mice and imply that administration of the mixture in a certain ratio is more effective than single administration of either Korean Red ginseng or Pueraria Radix alone.

Fermentation of purple Jerusalem artichoke extract to improve the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect in vitro and ameliorate blood glucose in db/db mice

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Jerusalem artichoke has inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and decreases fasting serum glucose levels, which may be related to its fructan content. The biological activity of fructan can be influenced by the degree of polymerization. Thus, in this study, the inhibitory effects of original and fermented purple Jerusalem artichoke (PJA) on α-glucosidase were compared in vitro. Additionally, the anti-diabetes effect of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented PJA (LJA) was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db). MATERIALS/METHODS: The water extract of PJA was fermented by L. plantarum, and two strains of Bacillus subtilis to compare their anti-α-glucosidase activities in vitro by α-glucosidase assays. The anti-diabetes effect of LJA was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db) for seven weeks. During the experiment, food intake, body weight, and fasting blood glucose were measured every week. At the end of the treatment period, several diabetic parameters and the intestinal α-glucosidase activity were measured. RESULTS: The LJA showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, it resulted in a significantly lower blood glucose concentration than the control. Serum insulin and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentrations of triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and total cholesterol were significant lower in mice treated with LJA after seven weeks. In addition, the intestinal α-glucosidase activity was partially inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that LJA regulates blood glucose and has potential use as a dietary supplement.

Fermentation of purple Jerusalem artichoke extract to improve the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect in vitro and ameliorate blood glucose in db/db mice

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Jerusalem artichoke has inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and decreases fasting serum glucose levels, which may be related to its fructan content. The biological activity of fructan can be influenced by the degree of polymerization. Thus, in this study, the inhibitory effects of original and fermented purple Jerusalem artichoke (PJA) on α-glucosidase were compared in vitro. Additionally, the anti-diabetes effect of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented PJA (LJA) was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db). MATERIALS/METHODS: The water extract of PJA was fermented by L. plantarum, and two strains of Bacillus subtilis to compare their anti-α-glucosidase activities in vitro by α-glucosidase assays. The anti-diabetes effect of LJA was studied in a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus animal model (C57BIKsJ db/db) for seven weeks. During the experiment, food intake, body weight, and fasting blood glucose were measured every week. At the end of the treatment period, several diabetic parameters and the intestinal α-glucosidase activity were measured. RESULTS: The LJA showed the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, it resulted in a significantly lower blood glucose concentration than the control. Serum insulin and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentrations of triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and total cholesterol were significant lower in mice treated with LJA after seven weeks. In addition, the intestinal α-glucosidase activity was partially inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that LJA regulates blood glucose and has potential use as a dietary supplement.

Apoptotic Effects of Melandryum firmum Root Extracts in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

Melandryum firmum is a biennial plant that has been used in traditional medicine for treatment of bacterial and fungal infection. Here, we investigated molecular mechanisms underlying apoptotic effects of Melandryum firmum root extract (MFRE) in neuroblastoma cells, since the effect of this natural compound on cancer cells has not been fully clarified. The root extract of M. firmum reduced cell proliferation, as revealed by cell viability assay. However, MFRE-treated cells exhibited morphological changes including cell rounding, neurite retraction and membrane blebbing. These alterations of cellular shape suggest this morphological change might be due to the apoptosis which shows fragmented DNA. In addition, MFRE up-regulated the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and down-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, which also finally activated cleaved caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by western blot analyses. Together, these findings demonstrate that apoptotic and cytotoxic effects of MFRE on SH-SY5Y cells are mediated by intrinsic mitochondria-mediated caspase pathway and that this natural extract might be effective as an anticancer agent for neuroblastoma malignancies.

Antioxidant activities of licorice-derived prenylflavonoids

Glycyrrhiza uralensis (or licorice) is a widely used Oriental herbal medicine from which the phenylflavonoids dehydroglyasperin C (DGC), dehydroglyasperin D (DGD), and isoangustone A (IsoA) are derived. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of DGC, DGD, and IsoA. The three compounds showed strong ferric reducing activities and effectively scavenged DPPH, ABTS+, and singlet oxygen radicals. Among the three compounds tested, DGC showed the highest free radical scavenging capacity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells as assessed by oxidant-sensitive fluorescent dyes dichlorofluorescein diacetate and dihydroethidium bromide. In addition, all three compounds effectively suppressed lipid peroxidation in rat tissues as well as H2O2-induced ROS production in hepatoma cells. This study demonstrates that among the three phenylflavonoids isolated from licorice, DGC possesses the most potent antioxidant activity, suggesting it has protective effects against chronic diseases caused by reactive oxygen species as well as potential as an antioxidant food additive.