Anti-inflammatory effect of spilanthol from Spilanthes acmella on murine macrophage by down-regulating LPS-Induced inflammatory mediators

作者：Wu Li chen^*; Fan Nien chu; Lin Ming hui; Chu Inn ray; Huang Shu jung; Hu Ching Yuan; Han Shang yu

来源：Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2008, 56(7): 2341-2349.

DOI：10.1021/jf073057e

• spilanthes acmella
• spilanthol
• inducible nitric oxide synthase
• cyclooxygenase 2
• nuclear transcription factor-kappa B
• proinflammatory cytokine

Spilanthes acmella (Paracress), a common spice, has been administered as a traditional folk medicine for years to cure toothaches, stammering, and stomatitis. Previous studies have demonstrated its diuretic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the active compounds contributing to the anti-inflammatory effect have seldom been addressed. This study isolates the active compound, spilanthol, by a bioactivity-guided approach and indicates significant anti-inflammatory activity on lipopolysaccharide-activated murine macrophage model, RAW 264.7. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of paracress is also investigated. Extracts of S. acmella are obtained by extraction with 85% ethanol, followed by liquid partition against hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol. The ethyl acetate extract exhibits a stronger free radical scavenging capacity than other fractions do, as determined by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The chloroform extract significantly inhibits nitric oxide production (p < 0.01) and is selected for further fractionation to yield the active compound, spilanthol. The diminished levels of LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) mRNA and protein expression support the postulation that spilanthol inhibits proinflammatory mediator production at the transcriptional and translational levels. Additionally, the LPS-stimulated IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-beta productions are dose-dependently reduced by spilanthol. The LPS-induced phosphorylation of cytoplasmic inhibitor-kappa B and the nuclear NF-kappa B DNA binding activity are both restrained by spilanthol. Results of this study suggest that spilanthol, isolated from S. acmella, attenuates the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages partly due to the inactivation of NF-kappa B, which negatively regulates the production of proinflammatory mediators.

• 出版日期2008-4-9