Selected Extracts of Chinese Herbal Medicines: Their Effect on NF-kappaB, PPARalpha and PPARgamma and the Respective Bioactive Compounds

摘要

Chinese herbal medicinal (CHM) extracts from fourteen plants were investigated in cell-based in vitro assays for their effect on nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), a key regulator of inflammation, as well as on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) being key regulators of genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. 43% of the investigated CHMs showed NF-kB inhibitory and 50% PPARa and PPARy activating effects. Apolar extracts from cortex and flos of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. and processed rhizomes of Arisaema sp. and Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. that effectively inhibited TNF-a-induced NF-kB activation and dose-dependently activated PPARa and PPARy were further investigated. Bioassay-guided fractionation and analysis by GC-MS led to the identification of fatty acids as PPAR agonists, including linoleic and palmitic acid.