Anti-inflammatory properties of cinnamon polyphenols and their monomeric precursors

An increase in both the absolute number as well as relative proportion of the elderly is one of the most important developments facing human society in the next decades. Chronic inflammation is a contributing factor for many age-related diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. To date, pharmacotherapy of inflammatory conditions is based on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but they have serious side effects. This chapter introduces a variety of cinnamon species, and describe the anti-inflammatory properties of cinnamon extracts and their constituents. In addition, it will describe the chemical composition of the different cinnamon bioactives, and elucidate in detail their individual anti-inflammatory properties and try to explain the molecular mechanisms behind the anti-inflammatory action

Cytoprotective properties of traditional Chinese medicinal herbal extracts in hydrogen peroxide challenged human U373 astroglia cells

Age is the leading risk factor for many of the most prevalent and devastating diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. A number of herbal medicines have been used for centuries to ameliorate the deleterious effects of ageing-related diseases and increase longevity. Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in normal ageing as well as in neurodegenerative processes. Since many of the constituents of herbal extracts are known antioxidants, it is believed that restoring oxidative balance may be one of the underlying mechanisms by which medicinal herbs can protect against ageing and cognitive decline. Based on the premise that astrocytes are key modulators in the progression of oxidative stress associated neurodegenerative diseases, 13 herbal extracts purported to possess anti-ageing properties were tested for their ability to protect U373 human astrocytes from hydrogen peroxide induced cell death. To determine the contribution of antioxidant activity to the cytoprotective ability of extracts, total phenol content and radical scavenging capacities of extracts were examined. Polygonum multiflorum, amongst others, was identified as possessing potent antioxidant and cytoprotective properties. Not surprisingly, total phenol content of extracts was strongly correlated with antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, when total phenol content and radical scavenging capacities of extracts were compared to the cytoprotective properties of extracts, only moderately strong correlations were observed. This finding suggests the involvement of multiple protective mechanisms in the beneficial effects of these medicinal herbs

Determination of anti-inflammatory activities of standardised preparations of plant- and mushroom-based foods

Purpose: Chronic inflammatory processes contribute to the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. In search of anti-inflammatory foods, we have systematically screened a variety of common dietary plants and mushrooms for their anti-inflammatory activity. Methods: A selection of 115 samples was prepared by a generic food-compatible processing method involving heating. These products were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity in murine N11 microglia and RAW 264.7 macrophages, using nitric oxide (NO) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as pro-inflammatory readouts. Results: Ten food samples including lime zest, English breakfast tea, honey-brown mushroom, button mushroom, oyster mushroom, cinnamon and cloves inhibited NO production in N11 microglia, with IC50 values below 0.5 mg/ml. The most active samples were onion, oregano and red sweet potato, exhibiting IC50 values below 0.1 mg/ml. When these ten food preparations were retested in RAW 264.7 macrophages, they all inhibited NO production similar to the results obtained in N11 microglia. In addition, English breakfast tea leaves, oyster mushroom, onion, cinnamon and button mushroom preparations suppressed TNF-α production, exhibiting IC50 values below 0.5 mg/ml in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Conclusion: In summary, anti-inflammatory activity in these food samples survived ‘cooking’. Provided that individual bioavailability allows active compounds to reach therapeutic levels in target tissues, these foods may be useful in limiting inflammation in a variety of age-related inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, these foods could be a source for the discovery of novel anti-inflammatory drugs

From classical taxonomy to genome and metabolome : towards comprehensive quality standards for medicinal herb raw materials and extracts

Fundamental to herbal medicine quality is the use of 'authentic' medicinal herb species. Species, however, 'represent more or less arbitrary and subjective man-made units'. Against this background, we discuss, with illustrative examples, the importance of defining species boundaries by accommodating both the fixed (shared) diagnostic and varying (within-species) traits in medicinal herb populations. We emphasize the role of taxonomy, floristic information and genomic profiling in authenticating medicinal herb species, in addition to the need to include within species phytochemical profile variations while developing herbal extract identification protocols. We outline the application of species-specific genomic and phytochemical markers, chemoprofiling and chemometrics as additional tools to develop qualifying herbal extract references. We list the diagnostic traits available subsequent to each step during the medicinal herb extract manufacturing process and delineate limits to qualification of extract references

Natural compounds and plant extracts as therapeutics against chronic inflammation in Alzheimer's disease - a translational perspective

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by deposition of amyloid beta, neurofibrillary tangles, astrogliosis and microgliosis, leading to neuronal dysfunction and loss in the brain. Bio- and histochemical evidence suggests a pivotal role of central and peripheral inflammation in its aetiopathology, linked to the production of free radicals. Numerous epidemiological studies support that the long-term use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs is preventive against AD, but these medications do not slow down the progression of the disease in already diagnosed patients. There are a number of studies focusing on traditional herbal medicines and small molecules (usually plant secondary metabolites) as potential anti-inflammatory drugs, particulary in respect to cytokine suppression. For instance, ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a number of polyphenolic phytochemicals have been shown to be effective against inflammation in animal and cell models. Some of these plant secondary metabolites have also been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloidogenic, neuroprotective, and cognition-enhancing effects. This review will provide an overview the effects of catechins/proanthocyanidins from green tea, curcumin from turmeric, extracts enriched in bacosides from Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), flavone glycosides from Ginkgo biloba, and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. They do not only counteract one pathophysiological aspect of AD in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies of models of AD, but also ameliorate several of the above mentioned pathologies. The evidence suggests that increased consumption of these compounds might lead to a safe strategy to delay the onset of AD. The continuing investigation of the potential of these substances is necessary as they are promising to yield a possible remedy for this pervasive disease

A Method and Formula for the Quantitative Analysis of the Total Bioactivity of Natural Products

Identification of bioactive natural products from plants starts with the screening of extracts for a desired bioactivity such as antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, or neuroprotective. When the bioactivity shows sufficient potency, the plant material is subjected to bio-activity-guided fractionation, which involves, e.g., sequential extraction followed by chromatographic separation, including HPLC. The bioactive compounds are then structurally identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). One of the questions that come up during the purification process is how much of the bioactivity originally present in the crude extract is preserved during the purification process. If this is the case, it is interesting to investigate if the loss of total bioactivity is caused by the loss of material during purification or by the degradation or evaporation of potent compounds. A further possibility would be the loss of synergy between compounds present in the mixture, which disappears when the compounds are separated. In this publication, a novel formula is introduced that allows researchers to calculate total bioactivity in biological samples using experimental data from our research into the discovery of anti-inflammatory compounds from Backhousia myrtifolia (Grey Myrtle). The results presented show that a raw ethanolic extract retains slightly more bioactivity than the sum of all sequential extracts per gram of starting material and that—despite a large loss of material during HPLC purification—the total bioactivity in all purified fractions is retained, which is indicative of rather an additive than a synergistic principle