• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제21권4호
• /
• pp.406-410
• /
• 1998

Biflavonoid is one of unique classes of naturally-occurring bioflavonoids. Certain biflavonoids including amentoflavone were previously reported to have inhibitory effect on the group 11 phospholipase $A_2$ activity. Amentoflavone was also found to inhibit cyclooxygenase from guinea-pig epidermis without affecting lipoxygenase. In this study, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of amentoflavone were evaluated. When amentoflavone was administered intraperitoneally, it showed a potent anti-inflammatory activity as determined by amelioration of croton-oil induced mouse ear edema. It also showed a potent anti-inflammatory activity in the rat carrageenan paw edema model ($ED_{50}$=42 mg/kg) compared to the activity of prednisolone (35 mg/kg) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg). However, amentoflavone did not show a significant inhibitory activity against rat adjuvant-induced arthritis, a chronic inflammatory model. In addition, amentoflavone was found to possess a potent analgesic activity in the acetic acid writhing test ($ED_{50}$=9.6 mg/kg) compared to the activity of indomethacin (3.8 mg/kg). These results suggest that amentoflavone may be a potential lead for a new type of anti-inflammatory agents having dual inhibitory activity of group 11 phospholipase $A_2$ and cyclooxygenase.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• 제6권4호
• /
• pp.170-178
• /
• 2000

Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plant kingdom. Although many flavonoids were found to show anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo, the potency of anti-inflammatory activity was not enough for a clinical trial. Thus, a search for finding potential flavonoid molecules is continuing. In this review, in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of various flavonoid derivatives is summarized mainly based on the results obtained in authors' laboratories. Among them, several biflavonoids such as amentoflavone and ginkgetin were found to possess anti-inflammatory activity on animal models of acute/chronic inflammation comparable to nonsteroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs currently used. In respect of their action mechanisms, the effects on arachidonic acid metabolism and nitric oxide production were described. Some flavonoids directly inhibit cyclooxygenase and/or lipoxygenase. Biflavones such as ochnaflavone and ginkgetin are inhibitors of phospholipase $A_2$. In recent studies, certain flavonoids were also found to suppress cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression induced by inflammatory stimuli. Therefore, it is suggested that anti-inflammatory activity of the certain flavonoids (mainly flavones, flavonols and biflavonoids) may be mediated by direct inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes as well as suppression of the enzyme expression involved in inflammatory responses.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• 제9권1호
• /
• pp.74-82
• /
• 2009

Pharmacological investigations were carried out with aqueous methanolic extract (AME) of Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. (Meliaceae) leaves. Acute toxicity studies revealed that the $LD_{50}$ dose of AME was 600 mg/kg, i.p. AME was found to possess significant anti-inflammatory activity in acute, sub-chronic and chronic models of inflammation. AME selectively inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 activity, which is involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and biosynthesis of prostaglandins under inflammatory conditions. Treatment with AME significantly enhanced total peritoneal cell count and the number of macrophages in normal mice, which revealed that AME may also alter the immune response along with its anti-inflammatory effect. The saponins or the alkaloids present in AME may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• 제10권1호
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2004

Plant flavonoids possess anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Although the action mechanisms are not fully understood, recent studies have clearly shown that certain flavonoids, especially flavone derivatives, express their anti-inflammatory activity at least in part by modulation of proinflammatory gene expression such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase and various cytokines. This review summarizes the recent findings of flavonoids modulating expression of proinflammatory molecules.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• 제19권1호
• /
• pp.33-37
• /
• 2003

Asiaticoside has been tested for the ability as an anti-inflammatory drug using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7 cell). LPS treatment induced dramatically inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW cells. However, asiaticoside inhibited LPS-stimulated iNOS induction in a concentration-dependent manner. Especially, higher concentrations (＞50 $\mu\textrm{M}$) of asiaticoside completely blocked iNOS induction. In addition, LPS-stimulated expression of inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and interleukin-1 $\alpha$ (IL-1 $\alpha$) was inhibited by asiaticoside treatment. Asiaticoside up to 50 $\mu\textrm{M}$ still required to inhibit COX-2 and IL-1 $\alpha$ induced by LPS. Consistent with these findings, treatment with asiaticoside suppressed do novo synthesis and cellular accumulation of prostaglandin $E_2$ to a lesser extent, suggesting that asiaticoside blocked the induction as well as the activity of COX-2 These results suggest the possibility that asiaticoside may be effective therapeutic agents for septic shock and other inflammatory diseases.

• 약학회지
• /
• 제43권1호
• /
• pp.117-123
• /
• 1999

Because of the potent effects of lipid mediators such as prostaglandins (PGs), leukotriens (LTs) and platelet activating factor (PAF) on a variety of cells and tissues, they are considered as major contributors to the process leading to inflammation and allergy. To pursue the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of Lonicera japonica, we tested inhibitory effects of 7 flavonoids from Lonicera japonica on arachidonic acid cascade related enzymes, such as inflammatory phospholipase $A_2$, cyclooxygenase-1 and 2, 5-lipoxygenase, in bone marrow derived mast cell (BMMC), and lyso PAF-acetyltransferase in rat spleen microsomes. Anti-inflammatory activities of lonicera japonica are thought to be attributed at least in part to the inhibition of arachidonic acid cascade releated enzymes by flavonoids such as apigenin, luteolin quercetin.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2006

Certain flavonoids possess anti-inflammatory activity. Besides their antioxidative property, the cellular action mechanisms of flavonoids include an inhibition of arachidonate metabolizing enzymes such as cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases, and a down-regulation of proinflammatory gene expression such as cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$. In this review, the recent findings of anti-inflammatory flavonoid research since 2004 were summarized. And the cellular mechanisms on signal transduction pathways were also discussed.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제18권3호
• /
• pp.321-328
• /
• 2010

Twenty six compounds (1-26) were isolated from the root barks of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds were evaluated agai nst the generation of inflammatory chemical mediators in bone marrow-derived mast cells. Among them, compounds 10, 11, 13, 15 and 19 inhibited not only cyclooxygenase-2 dependent prostaglandin $D_2$ generation but also 5-lipoxygenase dependent leukotrien $C_4$ generation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, compounds 11, 12, 13, 15 and 19 also inhibited $\beta$-hexosaminidase release, a marker of mast cell degranulation reaction, from bone marrow-derived mast cell. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of U. davidiana might in part occur by both the inhibition of eicosanoid generations and the degranulation reaction of mast cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제28권7호
• /
• pp.848-853
• /
• 2005

Synurus deltoides was previously found to possess significant anti-inflammatory activity especially against chronic inflammation, and strong analgesic activity in vivo. In this study, new anti-inflammatory formulation containing S. deltoides extract as a major ingredient was prepared and in vivo activity was evaluated. The plausible action mechanism was also investigated. The new formulation (SAG) contains 1 part of S. deltoides extract, 0.9 part of Angelica gigas extract and 0.9 part of glucosamine sulfate (w/w). SAG inhibited dose-dependently edematic response of arachidonic acid (AA)- and 12-O-tetradecanoyl 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice, which is an animal model of acute inflammation. SAG showed 44.1 % inhibition of AA-induced ear edema at an oral dose of 50 mg/kg. In an animal model of chronic inflammation, SAG clearly reduced the edematic response of 7 -day model of multiple treatment of TPA (38.1 % inhibition at 200 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, SAG (50-800 mg/kg/day) as well as S. deltoides extract (285 mg/kg/day) significantly inhibited prostaglandin $E_2$ production from the skin lesion of the animals of 7-day model. These results were well correlated with in vitro finding that SAG as well as S. deltoides extract reduced cyclooxygenase (COX)-1- and COX-2-induced prostanoid production, measured in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. Therefore, these results suggest that SAG possesses anti-inflammatory activity in vivo against acute as well as chronic inflammatory animal models at least in part by inhibition of prostaglandin production through COX-1/COX-2 inhibition. And COX inhibition of SAG is possibly contributed by S. deltoides extract among the ingredients. Although the anti-inflammatory potencies of SAG were less than those of currently used anti-inflammatory drugs, this formulation may have beneficial effect on inflammatory disorders as a neutraceutical.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• 제16권2호
• /
• pp.82-86
• /
• 2008

The fruits of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis have been previously reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, the constituents including geniposide, geniposidic acid, genipin and crocin were evaluated for their effects on prostaglandin and NO production in an attempt to establish anti-inflammatory cellular mechanisms. Among the constituents tested, only genipin significantly inhibited cyclooxygenase-2-mediated $PGE_2$ and inducible nitric oxide synthase-mediated NO production from lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells at 10-100 ${\mu}$M. Genipin also inhibited nuclear transcription factor-${\kappa}B$ activation. Moreover, genipin showed in vivo antiinflammatory activity on ${\lambda}$-carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice (10.4-29.9% inhibition at 20-100 mg/kg, i.p.). All of these results suggest that genipin may contribute to anti-inflammatory activity of the fruits of G. jasminoides and an inhibitory action on prostaglandin and NO production is, at least, the part of anti-inflammatory mechanism of genipin.