title: Anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of selected Pakistani medicinal plants in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Due to its high global prevalence and uprising resistance to available antibiotics, efforts are now directed to identify alternative source to treat and prevent associated disorders. In the present study, effect of selected indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan was evaluated on the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a bid to rationalize their medicinal use and to examine the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects in gastric epithelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  AGS cells and clinically isolated Helicobacter pylori strain (193C) were employed for co-culture experiments. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and cytotoxic effects of the selected plants were determined by serial dilution method and DNA fragmentation assay respectively. ELISA and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the effect on IL-8 secretion and ROS generation in Helicobacter pylori-infected cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 100μg/ml, extracts of Alpinia galangal, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum tamala, Mentha arvensis, Myrtus communis, Oligochaeta ramose, Polygonum bistorta, Rosa damascena, Ruta graveolens, Syzygium aromaticum, Tamarix dioica, and Terminalia chebula exhibited strong inhibitory activity against IL-8 secretion. Of these, four extracts of Cinnamomum cassia, Myrtus communis, Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula markedly inhibited IL-8 secretion at both 50 and 100μg/ml. Cinnamomum cassia was further assessed at different concentrations against Helicobacter pylori and TNF-α stimulated IL-8 secretion, which displayed significant suppression of IL-8 in a concentration-dependent-manner. Among the plants examined against ROS generation, Achillea millefolium, Berberis aristata, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Matricaria chamomilla and Prunus domestica demonstrated significant suppression of ROS from Helicobacter pylori-infected cells (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the study revealed anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of selected medicinal plants which could partially validate the traditional use of these plants in GI disorders particularly associated with Helicobacter pylori. Furthermore, results obtained may lead to possible future candidates of chemoprevention against peptic ulcer or gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. sfaisalhz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Syed Faisal
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Jibran Sualeh
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Muhammad
authors.forename: Saeeda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahryar
authors.forename: Khan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usmanghani
authors.forename: Anwarul-Hassan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Gilani
authors.forename: Wasim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019610:Cytoprotection; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010154:Pakistan; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016209:Interleukin-8; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha