Strong Anti-inflammatory Activity Research Articles

Oleanolic acid reduces oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage by regulating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Oxidative stress is an early major pathological feature after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and involves in the development of acute brain injury, neuronal apoptosis and cerebral vasospasm following SAH. Antioxidant stress is an effective way to improve the prognosis of SAH. Oleanolic acid is a widely used triterpenoid from plants, which has strong antioxidant activities, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, whether oleanolic acid exerts its anti-oxidant effect after SAH and the underlying mechanisms involved in it is unclear. In current study, the SAH model was established on Sprague Dawley rats using a standard intravascular puncture model. We found OA treatment significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels, and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and GSH-Px after SAH, and reduced many EBI-related indicators, including brain edema, BBB disruption, SAH grades, and neurological score. In addition, the activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway after SAH was also detected. And by using Nrf2 siRNA intracerebroventricular injections, apoptosis related factors downstream of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were detected. By TUNEL staining, OA treatment obviously reduced neuronal apoptosis. Therefore, we suggest that OA could alleviate oxidative stress and reduce neuronal apoptosis through activating Nrf 2/HO-1 pathway.

In Vitro and In Vivo Photoprotective Effects of (-)-Loliode Isolated from the Brown Seaweed, Sargassum horneri.

Skin is the largest organ of humans. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) is the primary environmental factor that causes skin damage. The compound, (-)-loliode, isolated from the brown seaweed Sargassum horneri, showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in in vitro and in vivo models. To further explore the potential of (-)-loliode in cosmetics, in the present study, we investigated the photoprotective effect of (-)-loliode in vitro in skin cells and in vivo in zebrafish. The results indicated that (-)-loliode significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, improved cell viability, and suppressed apoptosis of UVB-irradiated human keratinocytes. In addition, (-)-loliode remarkably attenuated oxidative damage, improved collagen synthesis, and inhibited matrix metalloproteinases expression in UVB-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts. Furthermore, the in vivo test demonstrated that (-)-loliode effectively and dose-dependently suppressed UVB-induced zebrafish damage displayed in decreasing the levels of ROS, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, and cell death in UVB-irradiated zebrafish. These results indicate that (-)-loliode possesses strong photoprotective activities and suggest (-)-loliode may an ideal ingredient in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.

Pharmacological Activity of Trachyspermum ammi L. Seeds Essential Oil Grown from Northeast India

The present work has been aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi L., seeds by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method (GC/MS), antioxidant activity by DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging, reducing power assay; anti-inflammatory investigation using protein denaturation assay and anti-diabetic activity using the α-amylase inhibitory assay. The essential oil was further evaluated for antibacterial activity against various gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Streptococcus mutans and gram-negative bacteria Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enterica and compared with the standard Ciprofloxacin. Again, the antifungal activity was investigated against Fusarium keratoplasticum, Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cereviaceae, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus and compared with the standard Fluconazole. The GC/MS analysis of Ajwain essential oil revealed the presence of thymol (50.43%) as the major compound followed by other minor and trace compounds. Ajwain essential oil showed better antioxidant activity than that of standard as revealed by DPPH radical scavenging assay with Ajwain essential oil IC50 3.09 μL/mL which was better performing than ascorbic acid with IC50 8.87 μL/mL. The IC50 value of 21.38 μL/mL was shown by Ajwain essential oil followed by ascorbic acid 79.13 μL/mL in ABTS assay. The in-vitro anti-inflammatory assay revealed Ajwain essential oil as a good candidate for strong natural inflammation inhibitory drug formulation with an IC50 value of 93.12 μL/mL in albumin denaturation assay. Significant α-amylase inhibitory activity was also reported with an IC50 = 22.02 μL/mL better than standard acarbose IC50 = 22.46 μL/mL. Weak antimicrobial activity was reported against all the thirteen tested bacterial and fungal strains. From all the aforementioned results it can be concluded that the presence of the polyphenolic compound thymol (50.43%) resulted in strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities of Ajwain essential oil, which resembles the use of thymol in the future as natural, cost-effective and potential antioxidant, inflammation inhibitory and anti-diabetic precursor for drug formulation.

Anti-inflammatory activity of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside liposomes in THP-1 macrophages.

Cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside (C3G) is a kind of water‐soluble pigment widely existing in many plants. It has strong antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities. However, C3G cannot exist stably for a long time because of the phenolic hydroxyl groups in its structure. Liposome technology could improve the stability and bioavailability of compounds. Based on our previous studies, C3G liposomes prepared by ethanol injection method have a certain stability in two weeks of storage. In this study, THP‐1 macrophages treated with C3G and C3G liposomes can reduce the levels of inflammatory‐related factors, such as tumor necrosis factor‐a (TNF‐a), interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, and IL‐8, stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Further studies showed that the LPS induction could increase the level of phosphorylated nuclear transcription factor NF‐κB and phosphorylated IkBa, while C3G and C3G liposomes could inhibit the expression of phosphorylated proteins. Moreover, C3G and C3G liposomes could protect macrophages from apoptosis. In conclusion, C3G prepared by liposome technology exhibits anti‐inflammatory activity, which provides a theoretical basis for the food industry to study functional food.

In Vitro and In Vivo Studies Reveal that Hesperetin-7-O-glucoside, a Naturally Occurring Monoglucoside, Exhibits Strong Anti-inflammatory Capacity.

Hesperetin-7-O-glucoside (Hes-7-G) is a naturally occurring flavonoid monoglucoside in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium and exhibits relatively high biological activities. To explore the anti-inflammatory capacity of dietary Hes-7-G, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice were used here as in vitro and in vivo inflammation models. The results showed that Hes-7-G (5 μM) significantly restored cellular metabolic disorders and inflammation in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. In the in vivo study, dietary Hes-7-G (1 mg/kg body weight) markedly alleviated the inflammatory status in DSS-induced colitis mice, manifested by the recovered colon length from 5.91 ± 0.66 to 6.45 ± 0.17 cm, histopathological changes, and mRNA levels of colonic inflammatory factors including Tnf-α and Il-22. Furthermore, dietary Hes-7-G not only profoundly regulated the gut microbiota composition including phyla Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Desulfobacterota, and Deferribacteres and genus Enterorhabdus, Prevotellaceae, Gastranaerophilales, Enterococcus, Intestinimonas, Ruminococcaceae, and Eubacterium in the cecal contents but also especially adjusted the co-metabolites such as short chain fatty acids and indole metabolites (indole-3-propionic, indole acetic acid), which were markedly altered by DSS treatment in mice. These findings demonstrated that Hes-7-G has strong anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo and potential preventive or therapeutic effects for chronic inflammation diseases.

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils of two new chemotypes of Glebionis Cass.

This paper includes the result of the first study of the chemical composition, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antidiabetic activities of the essential oils of Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach and Glebionis segetum (L.) Fourr. from Turkey. In the current study, nine and twenty-eight constituents were determined in the essential oils of aerial parts of G. coronaria (GCE) (92.1%) and G. segetum (GSE) (90.0%), respectively. The main components were capillin (65.9%) in GCE, capillene (53.4%) in GSE. The essential oil compositions were evaluated and compared with previous researches. In the current study, the plants are classified as chemotypes of Glebionis species. GCE and GSE showed poor and very poor DPPH radical scavenging activity, respectively. GCE and GSE exhibited significant and strong antiinflammatory activity against the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme, respectively. Also, GCE and GSE displayed moderate and weak antidiabetic activity against the α-glucosidase enzyme, respectively. Polyacetylenes were determined as the main class of compounds in GCE and GSE and had a notable antiinflammatory activity.

Structure of water-soluble polysaccharides in spore of Ganoderma lucidum and their anti-inflammatory activity

Ganoderma lucidum spore is widely accepted as functional food. Polysaccharides are the predominant bioactive components in G. lucidum spore and contribute much to its health benefits. However, their structural characteristics remain unclear. In this work, water-soluble polysaccharides (GLSP) were obtained by hot water extraction. Three monosaccharides, including arabinose (Ara), glucose (Glc) and galactose (Gal), were presented in GLSP. 1D and 2D NMR data revealed that GLSP were composed mainly by two polysaccharides, β-glucan and arabinogalactan. The arabinogalactan had a backbone of galactan with Araf in the side chain. β-Glucan was the dominant polysaccharide in G. lucidum spore. The molecular weight was measured. GLSP could induce IEC-6 cells proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, GLSP possessed a strong anti-inflammatory activity through inhibiting the overproduction of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines, like interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) induced by LPS. These results implied the potential of GLSP on gut barrier protection.

Mechanism of Baicalein in Brain Injury After Intracerebral Hemorrhage by Inhibiting the ROS/NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating subtype of stroke with high disability/mortality. Baicalein has strong anti-inflammatory activity. This study aims to explore the mechanism of baicalein on brain injury after ICH. The model of brain injury after ICH was established by collagenase induction, followed by the evaluation of neurological severity, brain water content, the degenerated neurons, neuronal apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ICH model was treated with baicalein or silencing NLRP3 to detect brain injury. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome was detected after treatment with ROS scavenger. The expressions of oxidative stress markers and inflammatory factors were detected, and the levels of components in NLRP3 inflammasome were detected. Baicalein reduced the damage of nervous system, lesion surface, brain water content, and apoptosis. Baicalein inhibited malondialdehyde and increased IL-10 by inhibiting ROS in brain tissue after ICH. Baicalein inhibited the high expression of NLRP3 inflammasome in ICH. ROS scavenger inhibited the NLRP3 inflammatory response by inhibiting ROS levels. Silencing NLRP3 alleviated the brain injury after ICH by inhibiting excessive oxidative stress and inflammatory factors. Overall, baicalein alleviated the brain injury after ICH by inhibiting ROS and NLRP3 inflammasome.

Oleuropein-Rich Leaf Extract as a Broad Inhibitor of Tumour and Macrophage iNOS in an Apc Mutant Rat Model.

Oleuropein, the major compound found in olive leaves, has been reported to exert numerous pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of oleuropein-rich leaf extracts (ORLE) in already-developed colon tumours arising in Apc (adenomatous polyposis coli) mutated PIRC rats (F344/NTac-Apcam1137). Here, we were able to investigate in parallel the anti-cancer effect of ORLE, both in vivo and in vitro, and its anti-inflammatory effect on macrophages, representing a critical and abundant population in most solid tumour microenvironment. We found that in vivo ORLE treatment promoted apoptosis and attenuated iNOS activity both in colon tumours as in peritoneal macrophages of PIRC rats. We this confirmed in vitro using primary RAW264.7 cells: ORLE reduced iNOS activity in parallel with COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TGF-β. These findings suggest that ORLE possess a strong anti-inflammatory activity, which could be crucial for dampening the pro-tumourigenic activity elicited by a chronic inflammatory state generated by either tumour cells or tumour-associated macrophages.

Antioxidant and bio-activities of leaf extracts from Eucalyptus globulus

Eucalyptus globulus member of Myrtacaea family, is one of the important medicinal widely used plant.In this study methanolic leaf extract of Eucalyptus globulus was studied for the estimation of phytochemical constituents , in-vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity . Fresh leaves were ground with methanol used for estimations. Phytochemical constituents were estimated by total phenolic content and total Flavonoid content determination. Spectroscopic analysis by UV-VIS, FT-IR and fluorescents analysis was also conducted. In vitro anti- inflammatory and antimicrobial activities were also monitored.Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids , phenols , carbohydates and saponins. Considerable amount of phenolics (50 mg equivalent par g of dry weight) and flavonoids (23 mg equivalent par g of dry weight) were detected in extract. Extract exhibited considerable DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2’-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) scavenging activities, Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, Nitric oxide radical scavenging activity , Iron reducing power and Superoxide radical scavenging activity. Fluorescent spectroscopy revealed the presence of fluorophores in extracts. A strong anti-inflammatory activity of extract was observed using fluorescent spectroscopy. An appreciable in vitro antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria like gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, MTCC 40 was detected. This study confirmed that methanolic extract Eucalyptusglobulus possesses potent antioxidant anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities possibly important quantity of flavonoid and phenolic content present in it .

Superfruits in China: Bioactive phytochemicals and their potential health benefits - A Review.

The term “superfruit” usually refers to certain fruits, which are rich in antioxidant components, therefore, are beneficial to human health. In China, there has been the concept of health preservation and dietary therapy through food intake in a long history. However, some other superfruits growing mainly in China have not attracted extensive attention, such as Cili, Goji berry, and sea buckthorn. Many studies suggested all of these superfruits showed strong antioxidant effects and anti‐inflammatory activity in common. However, there are various other advantages and functions in different fruits. This article reviewed the research findings from the existing literature published about major antioxidant bioactive compounds and the potential health benefits of these fruits. The phytochemicals from superfruits are bioaccessible and bioavailable in humans with promising health benefits. More studies are needed to validate the health benefits of these superfruits. It would provide essential information for further research and functional food development.

338 Scalp disorders when the head is covered most of the day: An upcycled pink berry extract to the rescue

The skin of the scalp has several unique features. Amongst them, the follicular density is very high, creating a dark, warm, and moist environment which could lead to hyperkeratosis (scaling), pruritus, alopecia, and signs of inflammation (erythema, purulence). It is known that the regular wearing of helmets in tropical environments and polluted cities or when practicing intense sports, as well as the daily wearing of scarves (Hijab, Burqa..) increase moisture and friction on the scalp. These two categories of population are thus prone to more frequent scalp disorders (itching, scales, and erythema) and may require specific treatment to soothe irritation. In this context, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics developed a pink berry (Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi) extract from a by-product of the fragrance industry, with strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities assessed on human hair follicle dermal papilla cells. Moreover, it is known that keratinocytes can be considered as itch generator cells and TRPV4 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4) channels in these cells play a significant signaling role in mediating the histaminergic itch. In human hair follicular keratinocyte cultures, the pink berry extract was evaluated on histamine-induced interleukin 8 production, showing a clear and significant reduction (by 146%**). An antagonist of TRPV4 was also used as a control. These effects were confirmed in vivo, on 31 volunteers with sensitive scalp and wearing helmets or burqas most of the day, in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. The effect of pink berry at 1% in a leave-on lotion was assessed with significant results on erythema, pruritus, and scalp flakes. The self-assessment confirmed these data attesting to a healthier scalp in comparison to the placebo. This clinical study highlighted the scalp disorders encountered by this specific population. The pink berry extract, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-itching activity, is an innovative solution to alleviate their symptoms.

In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of methanol extract of Vitellaria paradoxa seed (shea seed)

Vitellaria paraodoxa (shea tree) is the source of shea seed from which the well-known shea butter is derived. The methanol extract of shea seed was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities using diclofenac sodium and ascorbic acid as standard respectively in in vitro methods. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined by inhibition of protein denaturation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and erythrocyte membrane stabilization of human red blood cell. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. The results showed that methanol extract of V. paradoxa seed at different concentration protects the heat induced protein denaturation with the maximum percentage inhibition of 27% (IC50=303.0 µg/mL, p<0.05) at 500µg/mL compared to the standard drug which induced maximum inhibition of 45% (IC50=261.4 µg/mL, p<0.05) at 500 µg/mL and the control. The percentage inhibition of the methanol extract and standard drug in erythrocyte stabilization assay increased in a concentration dependent manner with maximum inhibitory activity of 96.9% (IC50=31.47 µg/mL, p<0.05) and 95% (IC50=33.89 µg/mL, p<0.05) at 2000 µg/ml respectively, which indicates that methanol extract stabilized erythrocyte membrane against hypotonic induced hemolysis in a blood sample better than the standard drug. The maximum percentage inhibition of methanol extract and standard drug in DPPH assay were found to be at 97% (IC50=8.95 µg/mL, p<0.05) and 98% (IC50=6.72 µg/mL, p<0.05) respectively at 100 µg/ml. The absorbance of the reductive capacities in FRAP assay indicates that the methanol extract has higher reducing potency in a concentration dependent manner. The methanol extract exhibited total antioxidant capacity of 0.25 ± 0.04 µg/(AAE/g) when compared to the standard drug 0.87 ± 0.03 µg/(AAE/g) at highest concentration of 100 µg/ml. For TBARS assay, low absorbance value indicate a high level of inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The maximum percentage inhibition of methanol extract was 97.5 % (IC50=51.79 µg/mL, p<0.05) and ascorbic acid was 99% (IC50=52.30 µg/mL, p<0.05) at concentration of 20 µg/ml. The assay indicates that the methanol extract has higher inhibiting potency in a reverse concentration dependent manner. In conclusion, V. paradoxa seed may possess strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities which could constitute a potential source for development of new therapy.

Evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Warionia saharae essential oil

Warionia saharae Benth & Coss (W.s) (Asteraceae) is a monospecific genus endemic to Algeria and Morocco. Its leaves are used in their traditional medicine, such as gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases; for instance, rheumatoid arthritis treatment. In this work, our team investigated the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of essential oil extracted from the dried upper parts of Warionia saharae based on different standard experimental test models. The analgesic activity was assessed by central and peripheral models, such as “hot plate” and “writhing” tests on Swiss albino mice. The hot plate test used latency measurements to assess acute cutaneous pain sensitivity, as a result; the latency of the hind-paw pain response was by licking and either shaking or jumping, those occurrences were recorded. Writhing test as a chemical method used to induce pain of peripheral origin in mice by injecting acetic acid intraperitoneally (IP). This results in characteristic stretching behavior of the animals (cramps and contortions). The evaluation of the analgesic activity, shows that the essential oil of this plant induces a decrease in the number of abdominal cramps in the contortion test and a maximum inhibition of pain. As for the anti-inflammatory effect, it was studied by the “paw edema” test, a phlogogenic agent (formaldehyde) was used to stimulate inflammation in the paws of mice. Anti-inflammatory properties can be observed by inhibiting this edema compared to the standard drug Diclofenac. In conclusion, Warionia saharae essential oil (75 mg/kg) showed a strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities which supports the conventional use of this plant in traditional medicine.

Microalgal Lipid Extracts Have Potential to Modulate the Inflammatory Response: A Critical Review.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and age-associated diseases (AAD) are some of the gravest health concerns worldwide, accounting for up to 70% of total deaths globally. NCD and AAD, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, are associated with low-grade chronic inflammation and poor dietary habits. Modulation of the inflammatory status through dietary components is a very appellative approach to fight these diseases and is supported by increasing evidence of natural and dietary components with strong anti-inflammatory activities. The consumption of bioactive lipids has a positive impact on preventing chronic inflammation and consequently NCD and AAD. Thus, new sources of bioactive lipids have been sought out. Microalgae are rich sources of bioactive lipids such as omega-6 and -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and polar lipids with associated anti-inflammatory activity. PUFAs are enzymatically and non-enzymatically catalyzed to oxylipins and have a significant role in anti and pro-resolving inflammatory responses. Therefore, a large and rapidly growing body of research has been conducted in vivo and in vitro, investigating the potential anti-inflammatory activities of microalgae lipids. This review sought to summarize and critically analyze recent evidence of the anti-inflammatory potential of microalgae lipids and their possible use to prevent or mitigate chronic inflammation.

Sinapic Acid Alleviated Inflammation-Induced Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction in Lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) Treated Caco-2 Cells.

The integrity and permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier are important indicators of intestinal health. Impaired intestinal epithelial barrier function and increased intestinal permeability are closely linked to the onset and progression of various intestinal diseases. Sinapic acid (SA) is a phenolic acid that has anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antioxidant activities; meanwhile, it is also effective in the protection of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory of SA and investigated its potential therapeutic activity in LPS-induced intestinal epithelial barrier and tight junction (TJ) protein dysfunction. SA improved cell viability; attenuated epithelial permeability; restored the protein and mRNA expression of claudin-1, ZO-1, and occludin; and reversed the redistribution of the ZO-1 and claudin-1 proteins in LPS-treated Caco-2 cells. Moreover, SA reduced the inflammatory response by downregulating the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB pathway and attenuated LPS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction by decreasing the activation of the MLCK/MLC pathway. This study demonstrated that SA has strong anti-inflammatory activity and can alleviate the occurrence of high intercellular permeability in Caco-2 cells exposed to LPS.

Silybin Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Suppressing Dendritic Cell Activation and Th17 Cell Differentiation.

Silybin, a peculiar flavonoid compound derived from the fruit and seeds of Silybum marianum, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we found that silybin effectively alleviated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), via inhibition of dendritic cell (DC) activation and Th17 cell differentiation. Silybin treatment greatly ameliorated the disease severity and significantly declined inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS) of EAE mice. Consistent with the disease development, silybin-treated bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DCs) exhibited reduced costimulatory molecules (e.g., CD80 and CD86) and MHC II expression. These results demonstrated the distinguished bioactivity of silybin for suppressing DC activation, inhibiting pathogenic Th17 inflammatory cell responses, and, eventually, alleviating EAE severity. Taken together, our results show that silybin has high potential for the development of a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as MS.

Protocatechuic acid attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced septic lung injury in mice: The possible role through suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

Here, we investigated the protective efficacy of protocatechuic acid (PCA) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic lung injury. Eighty-two male Balb/c mice were divided into six groups: control, PCA30 (30mg/kg), LPS (10mg/kg), PCA10-LPS, PCA20-LPS, and PCA30-LPS treated with 10, 20 and 30mg/kg PCA, respectively, for seven days before intraperitoneal LPS injection. PCA pre-treatment, especially at higher dose, significantly reduced LPS-induced lung tissue injury as indicated by increased heat shock protein 70 and antioxidant molecules (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) accompanied by lower oxidative stress indices (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide). PCA administration decreased inflammatory mediators including myeloperoxidase, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB p65), and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and prevented the development of apoptotic events in the lung tissue. At the molecular level, PCA downregulated mRNA expression of nitric oxide synthase 2, C/EBP homologous protein, and high mobility group box1 in the lungs of all PCA-LPS treated mice. Thus, PCA-pre-treatment effectively counteracted sepsis-induced acute lung injury in vivo by promoting and antioxidant status, while inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Sepsis-mediated organ dysfunction and high mortality is aggravated by acute lung injury (ALI). Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are needed to encounter sepsis-mediated ALI. Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a naturally occurring phenolic acid with various biological and pharmacological activities. PCA is abundant in edible plants including Allium cepa L., Oryza sativa L., Hibiscus sabdariffa, Prunus domesticaL., and Eucommia ulmoides. In this investigation we studied the potential protective role of pure PCA (10, 20 and 30mg/kg) on LPS-mediated septic lung injury in mice through examining oxidative challenge, inflammatory response, apoptotic events and histopathological changes in addition to evaluating the levels and mRNA expression of heat shock protein 70, C/EBP homologous protein and high mobility group box1 in the lung tissue. The recorded results showed that PCA pre-administration was able to significantly abrogate the damages in the lung tissue associated septic response. This protective effect comes from its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities, suggesting that PCA may be applied to alleviate ALI associated with the development of sepsis.

Pterocarpans and their biological activities: a review

Pterocarpans, ubiquitous in Fabaceae, are protective active substances produced by the chemical defense system of plants. A total of 144 pterocarpans had been discovered before 2006. For the first time, we reported the 89 pterocarpans identified in 2006-2020. These pterocarpans not only demonstrate novel complex diversified genus-specific stereostructures but also display strong anti-microbial, anti-tumor, antioxidant, insecticidal, and anti-inflammatory activities. Through the projection of their biogenetic pathways and study of the pharmacological activities, the structure-activity correlation was further confirmed. The distribution of Leguminosae plants rich in pterocarpans has obvious regional characteristics. Therefore, the research and utilization of Leguminosae plant resources in China should be strengthened, and the popularity and application value of the geographical indicator plant resources should be improved. This paper serves as a reference for further research, development, and utilization of pterocarpans and their plant sources.

Lacrimal Gland Histopathology and Secretory Function in Sjögren's Syndrome Mice Model Treated with Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaf Extract.

The pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome involves the activation of NF- κB, producing proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1α, IL- 1β, IL-6, IL-17, and interferon-γ. Through oxidative stress, they will cause necrosis and apoptosis of lacrimal gland cells, resulting in impaired secretory function or reduced tear production. Moringa oleifera leaf extract is known to have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. To determine the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf extract on lacrimal gland histopathology and secretory function in Sjögren's syndrome mice model. The experimental study had a post-test only control group design with 32 eight-week-old male mice of the BALB/c strain divided into four groups, negative control (C-), which was not induced by SS, positive control (C+), treatment 1 (T1), and treatment 2 (T2) induced by Sjögren's syndrome by immunizing with the 60-kD Ro antigen (SSA) as much as 100 μg. After 42 days, the T1 group was given dexamethasone 1.23 mg/kg BW/day orally for 14 days, whereas T2 was given dexamethasone 1.23 mg/kg BW/day and Moringa oleifera leaf ethanol extract 200 mg/kg BW/day orally for 14 days. At the end of the study, lacrimal gland histopathology and secretory function (tear production) were examined. Statistical analysis using F ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis was followed by partial difference test with the Least Significant Difference post hoc test/Mann-Whitney. Significant if p < 0.05. The comparison of lacrimal gland histopathology in T1 (p = 0.044) and T2 groups (p = 0.020) obtained significant results (p < 0.05) when compared to C+. However, the comparison of tear production in T1 (p = 0.127) and T2 groups (p = 0.206) was not significant (p > 0.05) when compared to the C+ group. The administration of Moringa oleifera leaf extract 200 mg/kg BW for 14 days could significantly improve lacrimal gland histopathology but was not effective in increasing tear production in Sjögren's syndrome mice model.