EXTRACTION, COMPOSITION AND THE ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICOMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT FRACTIONS FROM THE LEAVES OF SYMPHYTUM ASPERUM AND S. CAUCASICUM

摘要

High molecular weight fractions (> 1000 kDal) from the leaves of Symphytum asperum and S. caucasicum had anticomplement activity, were able to inhibit luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL_(lum) and CL_(luc) respectively) induced by human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) after stimulation with opsonized zymosan, and could decrease the CL_(Iuc) signal induced by superoxide anion formation in a cell-free hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase system. The anticomplement and antioxidant activities of the high molecular weight fractions (> 1000 kDal) from the leaves of Symphytum asperum and S. caucasicum indicate that they might be used as anti-inflammatory and wound-healing agents.