Nonivamide possessed similar anti-inflammatory potential as capsaicin and t-pellitorine. In U-937 macrophages, the tested compounds exploited an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the EC-LPS induced activation of the MAPK pathway. In addition, the TRP channel activation plays a role in the anti-inflammatory capacity of capsaicin and nonivamide.

Drinking or gargling Salvia officinalis L. infusion (sage infusion) is thought to soothe a sore throat, tonsillitis, and inflamed, red gums, although structure-based scientific evidence for the key anti-inflammatory compounds in sage infusion is scarce. Human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1) were treated with sage infusion (SI) or SI fractions containing either its volatile components and water (aqueous distillate, AD) or its dry matter (DM) for six hours. SI, AD, and DM reduced a mean phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate/ionomycin (PMA/I)-stimulated release of the pro-inflammatory interleukins IL-6 and IL-8 by more than 50% (p < 0.05). Cellular uptake experiments and subsequent GC-MS analysis using stable-isotope-labeled internal standards revealed the presence of 1,8-cineole, borneol, camphor, and α-/β-thujone in SI-treated cells; LC-MS analysis demonstrated the presence of rosmarinic acid. A significant, more than 50% mean inhibition of PMA/I-induced IL-6 and IL-8 release was demonstrated for the volatile compounds 1,8-cineole, borneol, camphor, and thujone, but not for the nonvolatile rosmarinic acid when applied in concentrations representative of sage infusion. Therefore, the volatile compounds were found to be more effective than rosmarinic acid. 1,8-Cineole, borneol, camphor, and α-/β-thujone chiefly contribute to the anti-inflammatory activity of sage infusion in human gingival fibroblasts.

Resveratrol has been shown to exploit various biological activities, including an anti-inflammatory activity. However, resveratrol is metabolized by phase II enzymes post-absorption to predominantly form glucuronides and sulfates. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol and its dominating sulfated and glucuronated metabolites formed in vivo, U-937 macrophages were chosen as an immune-competent model system, known to release cytokines upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. U-937 cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli (E. coli-LPS) to evoke an inflammatory reaction, and pre- or co-incubated with 1 or 10 μM of resveratrol (RES), resveratrol-3-sulfate (R3S), resveratrol-disulfates (RDS), resveratrol-3-glucuronide or resveratrol-4'-glucuronide. Time dependent gene expression of IL-6, IL-1α/β and IL-1R by qPCR was studied at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, and 24 h of incubation, and the release of IL-6 and TNF-α, after 6 h was analysed by means of non-magnetic or magnetic bead analysis. As a result, 10 μM resveratrol completely inhibited the E. coli-LPS-induced release of IL-6, while resveratrol-3-sulfate and resveratrol-disulfates decreased it by respective 84.2 ± 29.4% and 52.3 ± 39.5%. Whereas TNF-α release was reduced by 48.1 ± 15.4%, 33.0 ± 10.0% and 46.7 ± 8.7% by RES, R3S and RDS, respectively. These results show that not only resveratrol but also resveratrol-3-sulfate and resveratrol-disulfates exhibit an anti-inflammatory potential by counteracting an inflammatory challenge in U-937 macrophages at plasma representative concentrations.

Wine may cause stomach irritation due to its stimulatory effect on gastric acid secretion, although the mechanisms by which wine or components thereof activate pathways of gastric acid secretion are poorly understood. Gastric pH was measured with a noninvasive intragastric probe, demonstrating that administration of 125 mL of white or red wine to healthy volunteers stimulated gastric acid secretion more potently than the administration of equivalent amounts of ethanol. Between both beverages, red wine showed a clear trend for being more active in stimulating gastric acid secretion than white wine (p = 0.054). Quantification of the intracellular proton concentration in human gastric tumor cells (HGT-1), a well-established indicator of proton secretion and, in turn, stomach acid formation in vivo, confirmed the stronger effect of red wine as compared to white wine. RT-qPCR experiments on cells exposed to red wine also revealed a more pronounced effect than white wine on the fold change expression of genes associated with gastric acid secretion. Of the quantitatively abundant organic acids in wine, malic acid and succinic acid most actively stimulated proton secretion in vitro. However, addition of ethanol to individual organic acids attenuated the secretory effect of tartaric acid, but not that of the other organic acids. It was concluded that malic acid for white wine and succinic acid for red wine are key organic acids that contribute to gastric acid stimulation.