Inhibition of neutrophils' chemiluminescence by ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and its phenolic components.
Ethanol extract of propolis (EEP), a natural beehive product, has been known for centuries for a variety of beneficial traditional medical properties, among which an anti-inflammatory effect is a major one. Now that most of its components have been isolated and recently identified, we tested 19 of them (all phenolic compounds) for their degree of anti-inflammatory activity. This was performed by evaluating the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence, formed after their scavenging free radicals, generated by neutrophils that had been stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate. Caffeic-acid-phenylethyl-ester abolished the chemiluminescence completely at a concentration of 10 microM, while three flavone derivatives and three flavonols (galangin, kaempferol and kaempferid) diminished this chemiluminescence by 73-93% at the same concentration. These results indicate that some of the phenolic components of the ethanol extract of propolis are its active components in exerting its renowned anti-inflammatory activity.
Krol
W
W
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Silesian Academy of Medicine, Zabrze-Rokitnica, Poland.
Scheller
S
S
Czuba
Z
Z
Matsuno
T
T
Zydowicz
G
G
Shani
J
J
Mos
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D011429:Propolis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011429:Propolis; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate