The aim was to assess the effects of the aqueous extract of the Mexican plant C. urticifolia as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and to provide evidence on the phenolic compounds.
RAW 264.7 macrophages were stimulated with 1 µg/mL of LPS and treated with 10, 25 50, 75 y 100 µg/mL of Calea urticifolia lyophilized aqueous extract (CuAqE). Nitric oxide (NO) release, tumor necrosis factor alpha, prostaglandin E2 production, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, NF-κB p50 expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured; other pro-inflammatory proteins were measured with membrane antibody array. Phenolic compounds were analyzed by LC-ESI-MS.
Inflammation was inhibited by suppressing iNOS/NO pathway through inhibiting nucleus translocation of NF-κB p65 and p50 sub-units. ROS production was significantly (P<0.05) inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, the expression of inflammatory markers was suppressed (34.5–88.3%) by CuAqE. A mix of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoid-glycosides were found in CuAqE.
Phenolic compounds in CuAqE such as caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoid glycosides could be responsible for inhibiting LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress by iNOS/NO pathway through suppressing NF-κB signaling pathway and by inhibition of ROS production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Therefore, these results support the traditional knowledge of C. urticifolia tea such as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent.