Screening of arachidonic acid cascade related enzymes inhibitors from Korean indigenous plants(1)

초록

Arachidonic acid (AA), which is stored in membrane glycerophospholipids, is liberated by phospholipase A<inf>2</inf> (PLA<inf>2</inf>) enzymes and is sequentially converted to cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) then to various bioactive prostaglandins (PGs,) and leukotrienes (LTs). In order to find the specific inhibitors of AA metabolism enzymes such as PLA<inf>2</inf>, COX-2, 5-LO and lyso PAF acetyltransferase, 195 Korean indigenous plant extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory activity on PGD<inf>2</inf>, LTC<inf>4</inf> production from cytokine-induced mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) and arachidonic acid released from phospholipid and PAF production from lyso PAF. From this screening procedure, methanol extract of eight plants such as Saururus chinensis, Aster tataricus, Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, Reynoutria japonica, Dioscorea nipponica, Epimedium koreanum, Impatiens textori, Veronica rotunda var. subintegra were found to inhibit production of inflammatory mediators in vitro assay system.

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