Antioxidant and anti-melanogenesis activities of extracts from Leonurus japonicus Houtt.

Leonurus japonicus Houtt is an important anti-skin pigmentation herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the molecular basis for this activity is complex and not fully understood. In this study, water and ethanol extracts and polysaccharide extract from L. japonicus (LJPs) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS and HPLC-DAD separately. Cytotoxicity was analyzed by using CCK-8, antioxidant activity using flow cytometer, anti-MMPs, anti-tyrosinase and signalling pathway analysis using Western blotting to investigate their anti-melanogenesis function. The results showed that the water and ethanol extracts contained alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The LJPs mainly contain glucose, fucose, glucuronic acid, mannose, threonine and arginine, and structure characterization by FITR analyses indicated that LJPs have ß- or α-D-glycosidic bonds and contain pyranose rings. The L. japonicus extracts displayed high cell viability at their maximum concentration. The water extract and polysaccharides significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and exhibited a cytoprotective role. Also, these extracts displayed higher matrix metalloproteinase-2 (anti-MMP-2), anti-MMP-9 and anti-tyrosinase activities. Furthermore, the polysaccharides displayed significantly greater inhibitory effect on intracellular ROS and tyrosinase protein expression than α-arbutin and ursolic acid used for the clinical treatment of skin pigmentation. This study also investigated the polysaccharide inhibition of melanin synthesis by repressing the expression of melanocytic lineage-specific transcription factor (MITF) and melanogenic enzymes via modulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K-Akt-mTOR) and ß-catenin pathways. The overall results indicate that L. japonicus is a promising candidate for anti-pigmentation treatment.

Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Activities of Essential Oil Isolated from Anti-Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Formulation and Their Chemical Analysis.

This study evaluates the in vitro antioxidant and immunomodulation activities of essential oils isolated from an anti-upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) formulation with a view to their therapeutic potential. The chemical components of the essential oil were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidative activity of the oils was investigated with regard to their ability to scavenge DPPH●, ABTS●+, and hydroxyl free radical (•OH). Their immunostimulatory activities were determined using murine macrophage cells. The main components of the oil with pharmacological and biological activities include 1,8-eucalyptol (42.9%), patchouli alcohol (19.9%), trans-erinolide (9.2%), and guaiacol (5%). The oils displayed high DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities and anti-inflammatory activities by reducing tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production. The results indicate that essential oils have the potential to be used in products for anti-URTI treatment.