Antiinflammatory and Antiangiogenic Activities of Flavonoids Isolated from Belamcandae Rhizoma

The present study was carried out to clarify whether isoflavonoids isolated from Belamcandae Rhizoma (Iridaceae) inhibit inflammation and angiogenesis by the experimental methods in vitro and in vivo. Among the isolated isoflavonoids, such as irigenin, irisflorentine, and iristectorene B inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production, as measured by nitrite formation at 3-30 ${\mu}M$. Also these compounds reduced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzyme expression in a concentration dependent manner, when measured by western blotting, at 3-30 ${\mu}M$. Irigenin, irisflorentine and iristectoren B decreased angiogenesis of chick embryos in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. These compounds also reduced the proliferation of calf pulmonary arterial endothelial (CPAE) cells and found to possess relatively weak gelatinase/collagenase inhibitory activity in vitro. These compounds, when administered subcataneously at the dose of 30mg/kg for 20 days to mice implanted with murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), caused a significant inhibition of tumor volume. Therefore, antiangiogenic activities of isoflavonoids from Belamcandae Rhizoma might be due to antiproliferative activities under inhibition the induction of COX-2 and iNOS enzyme.