Biological activities of Euptelea pleiosperma

In the present study, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of Euptelea pleiosperma ethanol extract (EPEE) were evaluated by using in vitro assays and cell culture model system. EPEE possessed more potent scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl than ascorbic acid used as a positive control. EPEE effectively suppressed both lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species on RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, EPEE induced the expression of anti-oxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and their upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), dose and time dependently. The modulation of HO-1 and Nrf2 expression might be regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase/Akt as their upstream signaling pathways. On the other hand, EPEE inhibited LPS induced nitric oxide (NO) formation without cytotoxicity. Suppression of NO formation was the result of down regulation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) by EPEE. Suppression of NO and iNOS by EPEE might be modulated by their upstream transcription factor, nuclear factor κB and AP-1 pathways. Taken together, these results provide important new insight that E. pleiosperma possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it might be utilized as a promising material in the field of nutraceuticals.

Key words: Euptelea pleiosperma, anti-oxidative activity, anti-inflammatory activity, upstream transcription factor