Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of compounds from Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep

• Published in: Archives of pharmacal research Vol. 33; no. 7; pp. 981 - 987
• Main Authors: Liu, Xiaohua, Hu, Zhenlin, Shi, Qirong, Zeng, Huawu, Shen, Yunheng, Jin, Huizi, Zhang, Weidong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Pharmaceutical Society of Korea 01-07-2010; 대한약학회
• Subjects: Analgesics - chemistry; Analgesics - isolation & purification; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - isolation & purification; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Cell Line; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - isolation & purification; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Edema - drug therapy; Edema - pathology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Pain - drug therapy; Pain - pathology; Pain Measurement - drug effects; Pain Measurement - methods; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Plant Roots; Tinospora - chemistry; 약학; Palmatine; Radix Tinosporae; Anti-nociceptive; Anti-inflammatory; Columbamine; Columbinyl glucoside
• ISSN: 0253-6269; 1976-3786
• DOI: 10.1007/s12272-010-0702-7

Radix Tinosporae is a herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In the present study, its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities were investigated. The ethanol extract of Radix Tinosporae exhibited significant inhibitory effects on xylene-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. Using bioassay-guided fractionation, the
n
-butanol fraction was determined as the active fraction. Further purification of the most active
n
-butanol fraction led to the isolation of three compounds, palmatine, columbamine and columbinyl glucoside. All three compounds showed inhibitory activities on xylene-induced ear edema, but only palmatine and columbamine exhibited significant inhibitory effects on acetic acid-induced writhing. In addition, palmatine and columbamine markedly inhibited
in vitro
production of nitric oxide and nuclear factor-κB activation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells in response to lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor α stimulation. These results provide justification for the utilization of Radix Tinosporae in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.