title: Antioxidant betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression.
abstract: It has been suggested that some pigments would have antioxidant properties and that their presence in dietary constituents would contribute to reduce the risk of oxidative stress-correlated diseases. Among others, inflammatory response depends on redox status and may implicate oxidative stress. Vascular endothelial cells are a direct target of oxidative stress in inflammation. We have tested the impact of the free radical scavenger and antioxidant properties of betalains from the prickle pear in an in vitro model of endothelial cells. Here we show the capacity of betalains to protect endothelium from cytokine-induced redox state alteration, through ICAM-1 inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Farmacochimico, Tossicologico e Biologico, Università di Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tesoriere
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allegra
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Livrea
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Alessio
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050858:Betalains; D050860:Betaxanthins; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D029747:Opuntia / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D050860:Betaxanthins; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011725:Pyridines; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; C469628:indicaxanthin; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D050858:Betalains