Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2015 Mar;19(2):151-158. 10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.2.151.

The Effect of Polyphenols Isolated from Cynanchi wilfordii Radix with Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Anti-bacterial Activity

• Jeong S
• Lee S
• Choi WJ
• Sohn UD
• Kim W

• KMID: 2285567
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.2.151

Abstract

Recently, Cynanchi wilfordii Radix has gained wide use in Asian countries as a functional food effective for relieving fatigue, osteoporosis, and constipation, particularly in menopausal disorders. However, its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities have not been explored in detail to date. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial properties of the Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts obtained with water, methanol, ethanol, and acetone were compared. All 4 polyphenol-containing extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The ethanol extract was found to elicit the most potent reduction of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and cytokine (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha) levels, as well as inhibit the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a concentration-dependent manner. The evaluation of antioxidant activity also revealed the ethanol extract to have the highest free radical scavenging activity, measured as 85.3+/-0.4%, which is equivalent to 99.9% of the activity of alpha -tocopherol. In the assessment of anti-bacterial activity, only ethanol extract was found to inhibit the growth of the Bacillus species Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. These results show that polyphenols of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial properties that can be exploited and further improved for use as a supplementary functional food, in cosmetics, and for pharmaceutical purposes.

Keyword

Antibacterial activity; Anti-inflammatory effect; Antioxidant activity; Cynanchi wilfordii Radix; Polyphenol

MeSH Terms

Acetone
Antioxidants
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Bacillus
Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus cereus
Constipation
Cyclooxygenase 2
Dinoprostone
Ethanol
Fatigue
Functional Food
Humans
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-6
Methanol
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Osteoporosis
Polyphenols*
Water
Acetone
Antioxidants
Cyclooxygenase 2
Dinoprostone
Ethanol
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-6
Methanol
Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Polyphenols
Water

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The viability of RAW 264.7 cells following treatment with a range of concentrations of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts. Cells were treated for 24 h with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 250 µg/ml of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts. Control cells were treated with media only. The results are expressed as means±SE from 3 independent experiments.

• 

  Fig. 2 Suppression of LPS-induced production of NO and PGE2 in RAW264.7 cells by Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts. Cells were treated for 18 h with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 250 µg/ml of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts in the presence of 0.1 µg/ml LPS. Control cells were treated with media only. The results are expressed as means ± SE from 3 independent experiments. *p<0.01 indicates a significant difference compared to LPS-treated cells. A: NO, B: PGE2.

• 

  Fig. 3 Suppression of LPS-induced production of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells by Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts. RAW 264.7 cells were treated for 18 h with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 250 µg/ml of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts in the presence of 0.1 µg/ml LPS. Control cells were treated with media only. The cell culture media were subsequently collected. The results are expressed as means±SE from 3 independent experiments. *p<0.01 indicates significant difference compared to LPS-treated cells. A: IL-1β, B: IL-6, C: IL-10, D: TNF-α.

• 

  Fig. 4 Effects of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts on LPS-induced changes in iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. Inhibitory effect of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts on LPS induction of iNOS and COX-2 protein expression was evaluated in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Cells were treated for 24 h with 0, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 250 µg/ml of different Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts. Electrophoresis was performed on cell lysates, and the expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 were detected using specific antibodies. β-actin was used as an internal control for western blot analysis. A: water extract, B: methanol extract, C: ethanol extract, D: acetone extract.

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