Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum Cass.) is traditionally employed in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory remedy. In nature, the plant is sparsely available and protected; therefore production of callus cultures was established. A concentrated ethanolic extract of culture homogenate, with leontopodic acid representing 55 ± 2% of the total phenolic fraction (ECC55), was characterized for anti-inflammatory properties in primary human keratinocytes (PHKs) and endotheliocytes (HUVECs). Inflammatory responses were induced by UVA+UVB, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), and a mixture of proinflammatory cytokines. Trichostatin A, a sirtuin inhibitor, was used to induce keratinocyte inflammatory senescence. ECC55 (10–50 μg/mL) protected PHK from solar UV-driven damage, by enhancing early intracellular levels of nitric oxide, although not affecting UV-induced expression of inflammatory genes. Comparison of the dose-dependent inhibition of chemokine (IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1) and growth factor (GM-CSF) release from PHK activated by TNFα + IFNγ showed that leontopodic acid was mainly responsible for the inhibitory effects of ECC55. Sirtuin-inhibited cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis markers were restored by ECC55. The extract inhibited LPS-induced IL-6 and VCAM1 genes in HUVEC, as well as oxLDL-induced selective VCAM1 overexpression. Conclusion. Edelweiss cell cultures could be a valuable source of anti-inflammatory substances potentially applicable for chronic inflammatory skin diseases and bacterial and atherogenic inflammation.
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