Abstract. Agelanthus dodoneifolius DC Danser (Loranthaceae)is used for the treatment of various diseases including asthma. The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts have been reported to have anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic and bronchorelaxant activities. The present study investigates the effects of the aqueous decoction and the diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions of Agelanthus dodoneifolius DC Danser (Loranthaceae) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and myeloperoxidase (MPO) release by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated equine neutrophils and on purified equine MPO activity. ROS production and MPO release by the PMA-stimulated neutrophils were measured by the lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence and ELISA assays, respectively. Specific immunological extraction followed by enzymatic detection (SIEFED) was used to specifically measure the equine MPO activity. Identification and quantification of the individual and total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were performed using UPLC-MS/MS equipment and colorimetric methods involving Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl 3 , respectively. All the tested extracts displayed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the oxidant activities of neutrophils; a stronger effect was observed with the organic fractions than the aqueous decoction. These findings could be correlated with a high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The results confirm the previously shown anti-inflammatory effect of Agelanthus dodoneifolius and its potential use for the treatment of neutrophil-dependent inflammatory diseases.
IntroductionPolymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are the primary effector cells in host responses to injury and infection (1-4). The antimicrobial function of stimulated PMNs is based on their phagocytic capacity and their ability to release oxidant and proteolytic enzymes as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the destruction of microorganisms. ROS play important roles in the pathogenesis of various serious diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, aging, cancer, cataracts, inflammation and cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis (5,6).Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme peroxidase enzyme stored in the azurophilic granules of neutrophils, plays a crucial role in the destruction of bacteria inside PMNs. The bacterial killing process mainly uses hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and the chloride anion (Cl -) to produce hypochlorous