Effect of leaves of Eriobotrya japonica on anaphylactic allergic reaction and production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha

Efficacy and local irritation evaluation of Eriobotrya japonica leaf ethanol extract

Background

Although Eriobotrya japonica leaves have been studied as a raw material for various cosmetic products, little is known about the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-melanogenic activities of Eriobotrya japonica leaf ethanol extract (EJEE).

Methods

This study was conducted to evaluate the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-melanogenic activities of EJEE using different in vitro models. In addition, we investigated the potential irritation of EJEE to skin and eye using animal alternative tests.

Results

The total content of polyphenols, one of the active constituents of EJEE, was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and found to contain 88.68 mg tannic acid equivalent/g. EJEE showed a concentration-dependent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, and a superoxide dismutase-like activity. The anti-inflammatory effect of 0.5% (w/v) EJEE was demonstrated by a reduction in lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in RAW 264.7 cells. EJEE also significantly inhibited melanogenesis in melanocyte stimulating hormone-induced B16F1 cells. EJEE did not show any irritation in skin and eye in animal alternative test.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the EJEE possesses anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-melanogenic activities, while it did not induce toxicity or irritation in neither skin nor eye. Therefore, EJEE can be used as a cosmetic ingredient for skin improvement.

Ursolic Acid and Oleanolic Acid from Eriobotrya fragrans Inhibited the Viability of A549 Cells

Loquat { Eriobotrya japonica (Lindl.)}, a kind of Chinese herb, has many efficacies such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and curing chronic bronchitis. However, reports on the pharmacological action of wild loquat extract are limited. In this work, the A549 cell line was selected to study the inhibitory effect of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid (UA, OA) from the leaves of E. fragrans. Results showed that UA/OA inhibited A549 cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner. The cell fraction in the G0/G1 phase dramatically increased under treatment with UA/OA. Data showed that UA activated the expression of PARP. UA and OA down-regulated MMP-2 and Bcl-2; on the contrary, they up-regulated Bid. This work demonstrated that UA/OA extracted from wild loquat leaves can significantly inhibit the viability of A549 cells.

Systems pharmacology dissection of the anti-inflammatory mechanism for the medicinal herb Folium eriobotryae

Inflammation is a hallmark of many diseases like diabetes, cancers, atherosclerosis and arthritis. Thus, lots of concerns have been raised toward developing novel anti-inflammatory agents. Many alternative herbal medicines possess excellent anti-inflammatory properties, yet their precise mechanisms of action are yet to be elucidated. Here, a novel systems pharmacology approach based on a large number of chemical, biological and pharmacological data was developed and exemplified by a probe herb Folium Eriobotryae, a widely used clinical anti-inflammatory botanic drug. The results show that 11 ingredients of this herb with favorable pharmacokinetic properties are predicted as active compounds for anti-inflammatory treatment. In addition, via systematic network analyses, their targets are identified to be 43 inflammation-associated proteins including especially COX2, ALOX5, PPARG, TNF and RELA that are mainly involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, the rheumatoid arthritis pathway and NF-κB signaling pathway. All these demonstrate that the integrated systems pharmacology method provides not only an effective tool to illustrate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of herbs, but also a new systems-based approach for drug discovery from, but not limited to, herbs, especially when combined with further experimental validations.