title: Ability of certain plant extracts traditionally used to treat ciguatera fish poisoning to inhibit nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is an intertropical ichthyosarcotoxism that manifests in complex assortment of symptoms in humans. Ciguatoxins (CTXs), issued from Gambierdicus spp., are causative agents of this intoxication. We have recently demonstrated that a Pacific CTX (P-CTX-1B) strongly modulated iNOS expression, leading to overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. NO produced in large amounts is involved in a wide range of pathophysiological processes. Many traditional remedies are commonly used in the Pacific against CFP. In this context, bioassay-guided screening was carried out to study NO inhibiting capacity of 28 selected plant extracts.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prepared aqueous extracts of plants used in New Caledonia in the treatment of CFP and screened their NO inhibitory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 28 plants tested, Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbiaceae), Syzygium malaccense (Myrtaceae), Schinus terebenthifolius (Anacardiaceae), Punica granatum (Punicaceae), Cerbera manghas (Apocynaceae), Vitex trifolia (Labiateae) and Ximenia americana (Olacaceae) showed inhibitory activity, validating their use as traditional remedies in CFP, and the potential for use in the treatment of conditions accompanied by NO overproduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These plants are promising candidates for further screening of their active compounds through activity-guided fractionation.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, UPS, UMR 152 (Laboratoire de Pharmacochimie des Substances Naturelles et Pharmacophores Redox), 118 Rte de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar-Roiné
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reybier
authors.forename: Hélène Taiana
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Darius
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chinain
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pauillac
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D036841:Ciguatera Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D002922:Ciguatoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002922:Ciguatoxins; D009569:Nitric Oxide