The anti-inflammatory pharmacological profile of herbal extracts used in Tonsipret®

Abstract

Tonsipret® is a commercially available medicinal product for the treatment of sore throat and tonsillitis. The herbal extracts used in this preparation are hydro-alcoholic tinctures of dried, ripe fruits from Capsicum annuum L., of resin from Guaiacum officinale L., and of freshly collected roots from Phytolacca americana L.. The anti-inflammatory activity of the single extracts was evaluated in-vitro concerning inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis by cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and -2) [1], inhibition of leukotriene biosynthesis in human neutrophile granulocytes [1], inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages [2], and inhibition of Nuclear Factor kappa B1 (NF-κB1) and COX-2 expression in THP-1 cells [3]. Each herbal extract appeared to have an anti-inflammatory tendency in-vitro. The extract of Guaiacum officinale showed the strongest inhibitory effects on the assessed parameters. Its active constituents interfered with NF-κB1 expression, as well as with COX-2 expression, the enzymatic activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and 5-lipoxygenase – genes containing an NF-κB binding site in their promoter regions. The other examined extracts also revealed a certain anti-inflammatory activity. The extract of Capsicum annuum exhibited a good inhibition on the enzymatic activity of COX-2, whereas the extract of Phytolacca americana showed a higher inhibitory activity on COX-2 expression.