title: Inhibitory effects of steroidal timosaponins isolated from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides against passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and pruritus.
abstract: To investigate the antiallergic effect of the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides (AA, family Liliaceae), which was found to inhibit the mouse passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced by the antigen-immunoglobulin E (IgE) complex in preliminary experiments, main steroidal saponins, timosaponins AIII, BIII, and D, were isolated and their inhibitory effects against PCA reaction and scratching behaviors investigated in mice. Oral administration of three main steroidal sapogenins blocked the PCA reaction and scratching behaviors, timosaponin AIII was the most potent. However, intraperitoneal administration of timosaponin AIII showed weak inhibition. To understand its metabolism and antiallergic mechanism, timosaponin AIII was anaerobically incubated with human intestinal microflora to afford a main metabolite, sarsasapogenin. Intraperitoneal administration of sarsasapogenin inhibited allergic reaction more potently than timosaponin AIII. In addition, sarsasapogenin more potently inhibited degranulation and IL-4 protein expression of RBL-2H3 cells induced by IgE-antigen complex than timosaponin AIII. On the basis of these findings, antiallergic effect of AA may be due to those of its steroidal constituents, and that of timosaponin AIII may be activated by using intestinal microflora.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Bomi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hien Trung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Trinh
authors.forename: Kangsik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sang-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Dong-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D031403:Anemarrhena / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010323:Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis / Q000187:drug effects*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D012503:Saponins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013150:Spirostans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D012503:Saponins; D013150:Spirostans; D013256:Steroids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C543146:timosaponin AIII; C553914:timosaponin BIII; C553915:timosaponin D; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C046297:sarsasapogenin