title: Anti-inflammatory and immunological effects of Centaurea cyanus flower-heads.
abstract: Centaurea cyanus flower-heads are used in European phytotherapy for the treatment of minor ocular inflammations. Different pharmacological experiments (inhibition of carrageenan, zymosan and croton oil-induced oedemas, inhibition of plasma haemolytic activity, induction of anaphylatoxin activity) showed that polysaccharides extracted from C. cyanus flower-heads had anti-inflammatory properties and interfered with complement. Moreover, these polysaccharides were found to be mainly composed of galacturonic acid, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose and galactose.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Institut de Pharmacie, CHU, Université de Liège, Sart Tilman, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garbacki
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gloaguen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bodart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tits
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angenot
mesh_terms: D000706:Anaphylatoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002351:Carrageenan; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003436:Croton Oil; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015054:Zymosan
chemical_list: D000706:Anaphylatoxins; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D003436:Croton Oil; D002351:Carrageenan; D015054:Zymosan