Neuroprotective and Antioxidant Effects of the Ethyl Acetate Fraction Prepared from Tussilago farfara L.

Abstract

The flower buds of Tussilago farfara L. (Compositae) have been traditionally used in Oriental medicine for the treatment of bronchitis and asthma. The extract of T. farfara was reported to exhibit antiinflammatory actions by inhibiting arachidonic acid metabolism and nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction on various types of neuronal cell damage induced in primary cultured rat cortical cells. Its antioxidant activities were also evaluated by cell-free bioassays. We found that the EA fraction potently inhibited the neuronal damage induced by arachidonic acid. We also found that it significantly attenuated the neuronal damage induced by spermine NONOate, a stable NO generator. In addition, it inhibited the A b b (25-35) -induced neurotoxicity and glutamate-or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-induced excitotoxicity. It was found that the oxidative neuronal damage induced by H 2 O 2 , xanthine/xanthine oxidase, or Fe 2؉ /ascorbic acid was also inhibited by the EA fraction. Furthermore, it was shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation initiated by Fe 2؉ /ascorbic acid in rat brain homogenates, and scavenge DPPH radicals. This is the first demonstration of neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of T. farfara. Although complex mechanisms may be involved in the neuroprotective actions, T. farfara may be useful for the management of neurodegenerative disorders associated with inflammation, A b b , excitotoxicity, and/or oxidative stress.

Protection of Cultured Cortical Neurons by Luteolin against Oxidative Damage through Inhibition of Apoptosis and Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1

“…[24][25][26] Briefly, cerebral cortical cells containing neuronal and non-neuronal cells collected from the brain of SD rat embryos at 17 d of gestation were seeded on either 35 26) The absorbance was measured at 550 nm using a microplate reader (SpectraMax M2 e , Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA, U.S.A.).…”

“…For instance, luteolin was shown to exhibit neuroprotection against kainic acid-induced damage in rats and to improve learning and memory. 21) Using cultured cortical neuronal cells, it was reported that luteolin prevented amyloid β (A β ) (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) -induced neuronal cell death. 22) In a similar type of cultured cells treated with oxidative insult, luteolin was also found to markedly attenuate cytotoxicity and improve mitochondrial function as well as increase endogenous glutathione level and catalase activity.…”

Korean Red Ginseng Extract Exhibits Neuroprotective Effects through Inhibition of Apoptotic Cell Death

“…All experiments were carried out at 10-11 d after plating. [23][24][25] The control cells were treated with HCSS or Mg 2+ -free HCSS without any agent. The cells were then washed with HCSS and maintained in MEM for 22-24 h in the incubator.…”

“…To induce neurotoxicity by A β , cells were exposed to aggregated A β (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) at a final concentration of 40 µM in MEM for 24 h at 37°C. 24) The control cells were treated with MEM without any agent.…”

Phenolics in the Tussilago farfara leaves

“…asthma), acting as a weak platelet activating factor antagonist and a Ca 2+ channel blocker [17]. The extracts of Farfarae flos exhibit various activities, such as antioxidant [18,19], antiinflammatory [20] and antimicrobial [21][22][23]; what is more, they also inhibit some enzymes including α-glucosidase [24], NO synthetase in the LPS-activated macrophages or murine microglial cells [8,25] and diacylglycerol acyltransferase [26].…”