Plant extracts from central Asia showing antiinflammatory activities in gene expression assays.
Plant natural products remain a good resource for the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals. A mouse macrophage-based quantitative, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) system was optimized to screen plant extracts for antiinflammatory activities using three well known genetic markers of inflammation. Plants used for extraction were taxonomically identified and vouchered species from two Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, collected through the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) program. The mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin 1beta and inducible nitric oxide synthase genes in RAW macrophages was determined quantitatively in response to treatment with plant extracts applied at 100 microg/mL. The screening of 1000 extracts from 449 plant species belonging to 68 plant families resulted in 75 extracts (7.5%) showing strong (75% or higher inhibition) activity against at least one target gene. Many extracts showed qualitative and quantitative differences in the levels of activities against each target gene. Extracts identified from this screen were able to reduce inflammatory symptoms in vivo, thereby validating the screening approach.
Dey
Moul
M
Rutgers University, Biotech Center, 59 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. dey@AESOP.Rutgers.edu
Ripoll
Christophe
C
Pouleva
Reneta
R
Dorn
Ruth
R
Aranovich
Irina
I
Zaurov
David
D
Kurmukov
Anvar
A
Eliseyeva
Marietta
M
Belolipov
Igor
I
Akimaliev
Anarbek
A
Sodombekov
Ishenbay
I
Akimaliev
Djamin
D
Lila
Mary Ann
MA
Raskin
Ilya
I
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001209:Asia, Central; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D051379:Mice; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2