Antioxidative Sesquiterpenes from Artemisia iwayomogi

摘要

Artemisia iwayomogi, a member of the Gompositae, is a perennial herb easily found in Korea and considerable attention has been paid to this medicine because the herbal plant is believed to have a chemopreventive potential. Methanol extracts of A. iwayomogi inhibited nitric oxide production of lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages and two sesquiterpenes from A. iwayomogi were shown to inhibit the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS). In another study, methanol extracts of A. iwayomogi displayed scavenging activity of peroxynitrite (ONOO~-), a potent cytotoxic oxidant formed by the reaction between nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide radical (O~(2-)). An aqueous extract of A. iwayomogi prevented the immediate-type allergic reactions and inflammatory cytokine secretions in mast cells.