title: Biological activity and safety of Tripterygium extract prepared by sodium carbonate extraction.
abstract: The commercial preparation named “Tripterygium glycosides” prepared by column chromatography has been used for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with significant efficacy but concurrent toxicity. The aim of this study was to reduce the toxicity of Tripterygium extracts, using cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of the three principal active components of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. (TWHF)as guiding parameters. Column chromatography was replaced by sodium carbonate extraction for removing the acidic compounds and enriching epoxyditerpenoids and alkaloids in the extract. Results showed that the therapeutic index (IC50/EC50) on murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cells and rat mesangial HBZY-1 cells of the extract prepared by sodium carbonate extraction was significantly higher than that of Tripterygium glycosides(0.8 and 5.2 vs. 0.3 and 2.6, p < 0.05), while its cytotoxicity on human liver HL7702 cells was significantly lower (14.5 ± 1.4 vs. 6.8 ± 0.9, p < 0.05). Further acute oral toxicity experiments showed that the LD50 value of this extract was 1,210 mg/kg compared to 257 mg/kg for Tripterygium glycosides. All the above results suggest that Tripterygium extract prepared by sodium carbonate extraction may represent a potentially optimal source of medicine with good therapeutic index.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chunxi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Huibi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Christopher Waikei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Xiangliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D002254:Carbonates / Q000737:chemistry; D002460:Cell Line; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D007783:Lactones / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011725:Pyridines / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002254:Carbonates; D004224:Diterpenes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D007783:Lactones; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D011725:Pyridines; D014315:Triterpenes; C535115:wilforine; C001899:triptolide; C005686:sodium carbonate; C050414:celastrol