Effects of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and its flavones on inducible gene expression in J774A.1 macrophages

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2004-03, Vol.91 (1), p.25-30
• Main Authors: Blonska, M, Bronikowska, J, Pietsz, G, Czuba, Z.P, Scheller, S, Krol, W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; anti-inflammatory activity; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Ethanol; Ethanol extract of propolis; Flavones; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects; General pharmacology; IL-1β; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; Interleukin-1 - biosynthesis; interleukin-1beta; J774A.1 macrophages; Lipopolysaccharides - adverse effects; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase - biosynthesis; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; phenolic compounds; Propolis - isolation & purification; Propolis - pharmacology; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; traditional medicine
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2003.11.011

Propolis, a bee-hive product, has been used in folk medicine for centuries, and recently in modern medicine as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent. These activities would be mainly due to phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, especially flavone derivatives. The present study examined the effect of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and selected flavone derivatives (chrysin, galangin, kaempferol and quercetin) on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced J774A.1 macrophages. Treatment of cells with EEP significantly suppressed both IL-1β mRNA ( P