Anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of Baccharis conferta Kunth in a kaolin/carrageenan-induced monoarthritis model

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Popularly known as "escoba" (broom) or "escobilla china" (Chinese brush), Baccharis conferta Kunth (Asteraceae), is a plant widely used in Mexican folk medicine for alleviating muscular and rheumatic pain. A recent study described that dichloromethane extract as well as fractions and isolated compounds, possess anti-inflammatory activity in TPA-induced acute edema.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Based on the popular medicinal uses of B. conferta as well as previous studies on its anti-inflammatory activity, the aim of this research was to evaluate the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of dichloromethane extract, fractions, and compounds from B. conferta in a monoarthritis model induced with kaolin/carrageenan (K/C).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Aerial parts of B. conferta were collected, dried, and macerated with dichloromethane. The dichloromethane extract (BcD) was separated by open column chromatography to obtain the BcD2 fraction where the diterpene kingidiol (KIN) was isolated and from the BcD3 fraction the flavonoid cirsimaritin (CIR), which are the most active compounds in the TPA model. In addition, the flavonoids acacetin, pectolinaringenin and 6-methoxykaempferide were identified and isolated from the BcD2 fraction. The content of the main compounds was estimated in BcD, BcD2 and BcD3. The anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of B. conferta were investigated by evaluating ankle joint inflammation, hyperalgesia using the hot plate test, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in the synovial capsule as well as histological changes in ankle joint tissue in a monoarthritis model induced with K/C in Balb/c mice.

RESULTS

Oral administration of BcD2 fraction (25 mg/kg) and KIN (10 mg/kg) reduced the ankle thickness induced by K/C and decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17, while BcD2 increased IL-10. In addition, BcD2 and KIN showed significant edema attenuation of the synovial membrane and decreased inflammatory infiltration and cartilage erosion compared to the VEH group. Finally, BcD (50 mg/kg), KIN (10 mg/kg) and CIR (5 mg/kg) decreased hyperalgesia.

CONCLUSIONS

B. conferta constitutes a therapeutic or preventive candidate for osteoarthritis, because of decreased articular inflammation and pain accompanied with the modulation of cytokine concentrations, which confirms the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities of B. conferta and support its popular use.

Ameliorative effects of Cirsium japonicum extract and main component cirsimaritin in mice model of high-fat diet-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

The objective of this study was to determine biological effects of Cirsium japonicum extract and its main component cirsimaritin on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in a mouse model. Mice were fed with a HFD to induce MAFLD and simultaneously administered with C. japonicum extract (CJE) or cirsimaritin. Various MAFLD biomarkers were evaluated using biological methods. Results demonstrated that triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and malondialdehyde levels in the liver of mice were significantly reduced upon administration of CJE or cirsimaritin. Treatment with CJE or cirsimaritin also reduced the severity of liver injury in the experimental mouse model of MAFLD by inhibiting hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and liver fibrosis. These results demonstrate that CJE and cirsimaritin as its main compound have a preventive action against the progression of hepatic steatosis to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Our study suggests that CJE and cirsimaritin might be promising agents for preventing and/or treating MAFLD.

Cirsimaritin, a lung squamous carcinoma cells (NCIH-520) proliferation inhibitor

Cirsimaritin is a dimethoxy flavone, which is present in Ocimum sanctum, Microtea debilis, Artemisia judaica, Cirsium japonicum, and Lithocarpus dealbatus. Its antiproliferative potential has been explored in breast and gall bladder cancer cell lines. However, no reports are available on skin and squamous lung carcinoma. Also, the complete mode of action is unknown. Therefore, in the present study, the anticancer potential of cirsimaritin is explored in organ-specific cell lines by using MTT assay. Further, the inhibitory potential and binding interaction with the selected targets were analyzed through in vitro and in-silico analysis. Cirsimaritin showed selective anticancer activity against NCIH-520 cell-line (IC₅₀ 23.29 µM), also inhibited the proliferation of other cell-lines up to 48% at 100 µM. In NCIH-520 cell-line, cirsimaritin significantly increased the apoptosis of the cells at both the tested concentrations (10 and 100 µM), which was confirmed by Annexin-V signifying the induction of late apoptosis. Besides, an increase in the ROS levels of 1.6 fold (10 µM) and 1.8 fold (100 µM), circimaritin also inhibits the activity of ODC and CATD with the IC₅₀ 57.30 and 68.22 µM respectively. It exhibited a good binding score with the selected targets, follow Lipinski's rule of five and non-mutagenic. Hence, cirsimaritin is a potent molecule, which inhibits the proliferation of lung squamous cell lines by inducing apoptosis. It also inhibited the activity of ODC and CATD responsible for the progression phase in the cancer cells. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Cirsimaritin inhibits influenza A virus replication by downregulating the NF-κB signal transduction pathway

Background

Artemisia scoparia Waldst and Kit is a famous traditional Chinese medicine widely distributed in Xinjiang, China. Flavonoids extracted from it exhibits inhibitory activities against several influenza virus strains. Despite this fact, the antiviral properties of CST, one of such flavonoids, against the influenza virus has not been reported. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the anti-influenza virus efficacy and antiviral mechanism of CST.

Methods

The inhibitory activity of CST against influenza viruses was assessed by using viral titers and performing Western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence assays in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and a human monocytic cell line (THP-1). The mechanism of CST against influenza virus was analyzed by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, neuraminidase (NA) inhibition assay, and Western blot.

Results

CST reduced viral titers and influenza A virus (IAV) RNA and protein synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, CST had no inhibitory effect on the attachment and release processes of the viral life cycle, as indicated by the HI and NA assays. Conversely, the CST-mediated inhibition of IAV is possibly linked to the inactivation of the NF-κB/p65 signal pathway. CST also suppressed the activation of JNK MAPK and P38 MAPK in vitro. In line with NF-κB/p65 inhibition, the expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-10) and the inflammation-related protein COX-2 were downregulated by CST.

Conclusions

CST inhibited IAV replication by downregulating the NF-κB signal transduction pathway. CST may be a potential agent or supplement against IAV infection.

maackii, extract and its major component, cirsimaritin on breast cancer metastasis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

The biological activities of the ethanol extract from Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (ICF-1) and its major component, polyphenol cirsimaritin, were investigated as part of the search for possible alternative drugs for breast cancer. Three in vitro cell-based assays were used: the cell proliferation assay, tube-formation assay, and Western blot analysis. Both the ICF-1 extract and cirsimaritin inhibited the viability of HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition achieved was 36.89% at a level of 200μg/ml by the ICF-1 extract and 62.04% at a level of 100μM by cirsimaritin. The ICF-1 extract and cirsimaritin reduced tube formation by 12.69% at level of 25μg/ml and 32.18% at the levels of 6.25μM, respectively. Cirsimaritin inhibited angiogenesis by downregulation of VEGF, p-Akt and p-ERK in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting that cirsimaritin is potentially useful as an anti-metastatic agent. The present study demonstrated that Cirsium japonicum extract and its active component cirsimaritin is an excellent candidate as an alternative anti-breast cancer drug.

maackii Maxim

In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of cirsimaritin isolated from an ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Cirsium japonicum var. maackii Maxim. using RAW264.7 cells. The extract and its flavonoid cirsimaritin inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in RAW264.7 cells. Cirsimaritin inhibited interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and NO production in a concentration-dependent manner in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. From a western blot study, pretreatment with cirsimaritin inhibited phosphorylation/degradation of IκBα and phosphorylation of Akt in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, cirsimaritin suppressed activation of LPS-induced transcription factors, such as c-fos and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), in RAW264.7 cells. Collectively, these results show that cirsimaritin possesses anti-inflammatory activity, which is regulated by inhibition of c-fos and STAT3 phosphorylation in RAW264.7 cells.