Water and ethanol extracts of Plantago major leaves show anti-inflammatory activity on oral epithelial cells.

CONTEXT: The leaves of Plantago major have been used for the treatment of wounds and inflammation in folk medicine from prehistoric times. However there is no report on the use of P. major to treat inflammation in oral epithelial cell lines. OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to reveal possible anti-inflammatory effects of Plantago major leaf extracts on oral epithelial cells in-vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Water- and ethanol-based extracts of P. major leaves were prepared from freeze-dried plant material, and tested in-vitro using the oral epithelial cell line H400. The anti-inflammatory activity of P. major was tested against E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using the nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kB) assay. RESULTS: Both the water- and the ethanol-based extracts, as well as a combination of the two extracts, showed anti-inflammatory activity. A concentration of 0.1 mg/mL (on dry weight basis) yielded the best results for all extracts. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results show that synergistic effects of both polyphenols and water-soluble compounds (possibly polysaccharides) are responsible for anti-inflammatory activities of P. major.

Alteration of Neutrophil Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Extracts of Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum).

Harpagophytum, Devil's Claw, is a genus of tuberiferous xerophytic plants native to southern Africa. Some of the taxa are appreciated for their medicinal effects and have been traditionally used to relieve symptoms of inflammation. The objectives of this pilot study were to investigate the antioxidant capacity and the content of total phenols, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, and selected iridoids, as well as to investigate the capacity of various Harpagophytum taxa in suppressing respiratory burst in terms of reactive oxygen species produced by human neutrophils challenged with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), opsonised Staphylococcus aureus, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. Harpagophytum plants were classified into different taxa according to morphology, and DNA analysis was used to confirm the classification. A putative new variety of H. procumbens showed the highest degree of antioxidative capacity. Using PMA, three Harpagophytum taxa showed anti-inflammatory effects with regard to the PBS control. A putative hybrid between H. procumbens and H. zeyheri in contrast showed proinflammatory effect on the response of neutrophils to F. nucleatum in comparison with treatment with vehicle control. Harpagophytum taxa were biochemically very variable and the response in suppressing respiratory burst differed. Further studies with larger number of subjects are needed to corroborate anti-inflammatory effects of different taxa of Harpagophytum.

Antibacterial activity of berry juices, an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro antibacterial activities of blackcurrant and sea buckthorn juices on bacteria associated with gingival inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth of selected bacteria (Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus gordonii, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was studied in vitro on agar plates. The content of phenols in the different extracts was measured with HPLC-ESI-MS. RESULTS: The spectrometric analysis identified that the highest level of the single phenols studied was found for ferulic acid (113 µg/ml) in blackcurrant juice. Sea buckthorn contained low levels of selected phenols. Total bacterial inhibition for all bacterial species studied was found at 20% berry juice concentration with pH varying between 4.1-5.4. CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified that in vitro bacterial growth on agar plates was inhibited by blackcurrant and sea buckthorn juices and that low juice pH explains bacterial in vitro growth. This may have clinical implications in biofilm development, reducing the risks for both tooth decay and gingivitis.

Effects of Plantago major L. leaf extracts on oral epithelial cells in a scratch assay.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects from different leaf extracts of the traditional medicinal herb Plantago major L. (plantain) on cell proliferation and migration in vitro, as a test for potential wound healing properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Water and ethanol-based extracts were prepared from Plantago major fresh and dried leaves, and tested in vitro in a scratch assay with oral epithelial cells. RESULTS: The scratch assay produced reliable results after 18 h. Most of the tested extracts increased the proliferation/migration of the oral epithelial cells compared to the negative control. A concentration of 1.0 mg/mL (on dry weight basis) appears to be optimal regardless of type of extract, and among the alternatives, 0.1 mg/mL was always better than 10 mg/mL. Ethanol-based extracts with a concentration of 10 mg/mL had very detrimental effects on cell proliferation/migration. At the other two concentrations, ethanol-based extracts had the most beneficial effect, followed by water extracts of fresh leaves, ethanol plus water extracts of dried leaves and, finally, water extracts of dried leaves. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that both the water extracts and the more polyphenol-rich ethanol-based extracts of Plantago major leaves have medicinal properties. Further research is, however, needed to determine what compounds are responsible for the wound healing effects.

Mitochondria transmit apoptosis signalling in cardiomyocyte-like cells and isolated hearts exposed to experimental ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a condition leading to serious complications due to death of cardiac myocytes. We used the cardiomyocyte-like cell line H9c2 to study the mechanism underlying cell damage. Exposure of the cells to simulated I/R lead to their apoptosis. Over-expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L) protected the cells from apoptosis while over-expression of Bax sensitized them to programmed cell death induction. Mitochondria-targeted coenzyme Q (mitoQ) and superoxide dismutase both inhibited accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis induction. Notably, mtDNA-deficient cells responded to I/R by decreased ROS generation and apoptosis. Using both in situ and in vivo approaches, it was found that apoptosis occurred during reperfusion following ischemia, and recovery was enhanced when hearts from mice were supplemented with mitoQ. In conclusion, I/R results in apoptosis in cultured cardiac myocytes and heart tissue largely via generation of mitochondria-derived superoxide, with ensuing apoptosis during the reperfusion phase.