Anti-inflammatory effects of Asparagus cochinchinensis extract in acute and chronic cutaneous inflammation

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2009-01, Vol.121 (1), p.28-34
• Main Authors: Lee, Do Yeon, Choo, Byung Kil, Yoon, Taesook, Cheon, Myeong Sook, Lee, Hye Won, Lee, A. Yeong, Kim, Ho Kyoung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 12- O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA); Acetic Acid; Acute Disease; animal disease models; Animals; Anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Asparagus; Asparagus (Asparagaceae); Asparagus cochinchinensis; Asparagus Plant - chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Capillary Permeability - drug effects; Chronic Disease; cytokines; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Dermatitis; Dermatitis - metabolism; Dermatitis - prevention & control; Ear, External; edema; Edema - chemically induced; Edema - prevention & control; Enzyme Activation; General pharmacology; inflammation; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; Liliaceae; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; neutrophils; Neutrophils - drug effects; Neutrophils - metabolism; Oriental traditional medicine; Peroxidase - metabolism; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Roots - chemistry; Skin inflammation; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; topical application; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.07.006

Although Asparagus cochinchinensis Merrill (Liliaceae) has long been used in traditional Korean and Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, the underlying mechanism(s) by which these effects are induced remains to be defined. We investigated the effects of 70% ethanolic extract from Asparagus cochinchinensis Merrill (ACE) on skin inflammation in mice. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β), activation of myeloperoxidase, and histological assessment were examined in acute and chronic skin inflammation using 12- O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema. We also performed acetic acid-induced vascular permeability test. ACE inhibited topical edema in the mouse ear, following administration at 200 mg/kg (i.p.), leading to substantial reductions in skin thickness and tissue weight, inflammatory cytokine production, neutrophil-mediated myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and various histopathological indicators. Furthermore, ACE was effective at reducing inflammatory damage induced by chronic TPA exposure and evoked a significant inhibition of vascular permeability induced by acetic acid in mice. These results demonstrate that ACE is an effective anti-inflammatory agent in murine phorbol ester-induced dermatitis, and suggest that the compound may have therapeutic potential in a variety of immune-related cutaneous diseases.