Humin substances have been used as folk remedies for the last 3000 years. Recent studies have shown that humates possess anti-inflammatory properties, but the mechanism of how it affects inflammation is still unclear. In this study the anti-inflammatory properties of potassium humate, a water soluble humic acid salt, was investigated on different inflammatory pathways in vitro and in vivo. The effect of potassium humate on human mononuclear lymphocyte proliferation showed that potassium humate stimulated lymphocyte proliferation of resting-, PHA- and PWM-stimulated lymphocytes in vitro from concentrations of 20 to 80 µg/ml, in a dose dependant manner, where a maximum proliferation was observed at 80 µg/ml whereas lymphocyte proliferation decreased at 100 µg/ml. On the contrary potassium humate, at 40 µg/ml, significantly inhibited the supernatant concentrations of the following cytokines; TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-10 by PHA stimulated lymphocytes. The effect of potassium humate on the alternative as well as the classical complement pathway was investigated in vitro using the haemolytic complement assay. Results indicated that potassium humate inhibits both the alternative and classical complement pathways without affecting the red blood cell membrane stability. Different inflammatory mechanisms were investigated in vivo, using the carrageenan-induced paw oedema model and the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction model. The carrageenan-induced paw oedema model was used to determine the effect of potassium humate on acute inflammation in the hind paw. Carrageenan was injected into the right hind footpad of a rat which caused an increase in paw volume due to oedema, which was measured with a plethysmometer. Potassium humate significantly inhibited the oedema at a dose of 60 mg/kg bodyweight and compared favourably with indomethacin at 10 mg/kg bodyweight. The effect of potassium humate on the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction model was also investigated whereby rats were sensitised with sheep erythrocytes. Potassium humate was administered daily by oral gavage at a dose of 60 mg/kg bodyweight. After 7 days, rats were challenged by injecting sheep erythrocytes into the right hind footpad. The degree of inflammation was determined by measuring the increase of paw volume with a plethysmometer. It was found that potassium humate did not have an anti-inflammatory effect on the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction as opposed to the inhibition caused by dexamethasone at a dose of 30 mg/kg bodyweight. This study showed that potassium humate selectively inhibited the inflammatory pathway of the carrageenan-induced paw oedema as opposed to the delayed type hypersensitivity. The mechanism of the anti-inflammatory property of potassium humate might possibly be due to the inhibition of the complement cascade. This study clearly shows that potassium humate possesses anti-inflammatory properties that can be utilised in the future as a potential treatment for inflammatory disorders associated with the activation of complement. However further investigation in the mechanism by which potassium humate inhibits complement activation needs to be done. / Dissertation (MSc (Pharmacology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Pharmacology / unrestricted

No / Cryptolepine is the major alkaloid of the West African shrub, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. Cryptolepine has been shown to inhibit nitric oxide production, and DNA binding of Nuclear Factor-kappa B following inflammatory stimuli in vitro. In order to validate the anti-inflammatory property of this compound in vivo, we investigated its effects on a number of animal models of inflammation. Cryptolepine (10¿40 mg/kg i.p.) produced significant dose-dependent inhibition of the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema, and carrageenaninduced pleurisy in rats. These effects were compared with those of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin (10 mg/kg). At doses of 10¿40 mg/kg i.p., cryptolepine inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microvascular permeability in mice in a dose-related fashion. Oral administration of up to 40 mg/kg of the compound for four consecutive days did not induce gastric lesion formation in rats. Analgesic activity was also exhibited by cryptolepine through a dose-related (10¿40 mg/kg i.p.) inhibition of writhing induced by i.p. administration of acetic acid in mice. The results of this study reveal that cryptolepine possesses in vivo anti-inflammatory activity.Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soft corals of the genus Lobophytum (Alcyoniidae) have been well recognized as a rich source of various secondary metabolites that have attracted much interest for the natural products chemists due to their structural complexity and remarkable pharmacological activities such as cytotoxicity, antibacterial activities, anti-inflammatory properties, and antiviral activity. Twelve cembrane diterpenes including six new secondary metabolites 1−6 were isolated organic extracts of soft coral Lobophytum durum collected at Dongsha Atolls. The structures of these six new cembranolides were determined by 1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, HMBC, HSQC, NOESY, IR and Mass spectra. Furthermore, these six new secondary metabolites 1−6 were evaluated in vitro for the cytotoxicity against A-459 (human lung carcinoma), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), and P-388 (mouse lymphocytic leukemia) cancer cell lines, and antiviral activity against HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) cells.

Montelukast (ML) is primarily an antagonist of type 1 cysteinyl leukotriene receptors (CysLT1R), an activity which underpins its therapeutic efficacy in bronchial asthma. However, ML has also been reported to be useful in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders of both infective and non-infective origin in which CysLTs are unlikely to be the predominant mediators of harmful inflammatory responses. These include conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis in which the neutrophil is believed to be the primary offender, suggesting that ML may possess neutrophil-targeted, CysLT1R-independent mechanisms of anti-inflammatory activity. Accordingly, the laboratory research presented in this thesis was designed with the primary objectives of characterizing possible CysLT1R-dependent and – independent neutrophil-targeted anti-inflammatory activities of ML in vitro, and consisted of 3 phases. These were investigation of: i) the effects of the CysLTs, LTC4 and LTD4 (in the absence and presence of ML) on mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and release of primary and secondary granule proteinases; ii) the effects of ML on a series of pro-inflammatory activities of neutrophils following activation of the cells with the chemoattractants FMLP and platelet-activating factor (PAF); and iii) the interactive, anti-inflammatory effects on neutrophils of ML in combination with the long-acting beta-2 agonist, formoterol. In addition to the aforementioned activities, measurement of the production and expression of CR3, as well as generation of inositol triphosphate (IP3), cyclic AMP, and activities of the enzymes cAMP- and cGMP-phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in isolated neutrophil cytosol and membrane fractions, were also included. The following assays were used: i) chemiluminescence procedures for the detection of ROS; ii) a colourimetric procedure for the detection of elastase; iii) ELISA procedures for the detection of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 8- and -9, LTB4, and cyclic AMP; iv) fura-2-based spectrofluorimetry and a radiometric procedure for monitoring cytosolic Ca2+ fluxes; v) flow cytometry for CR3; and vi) radioassays for IP3 and activity of cAMP- and cGMP-PDEs. Exposure of neutrophils to LTD4, but not LTC4, activated a very modest and transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+, but failed to initiate the generation of ROS or release of elastase or MMP-8. However, brief pre-treatment with either LTC4 or LTD4 sensitized the cells for increased production of ROS and release of granule proteinases following activation with FMLP, which was partially attenuated by inclusion of ML. In the second part of the study, pre-treatment of neutrophils with ML, at therapeutically relevant concentrations, resulted in dose-related inhibition of the FMLP- or PAF-activated generation of ROS and LTB4, as well as the release of elastase, with the former being unaffected by an inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase (MK886), compatible with a CysLT1R-independent mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity. From a mechanistic perspective, these interactions of ML with neutrophils were associated with accelerated clearance of Ca2+ from the cytosol of the cells which could not be attributed to inhibition of production of IP3, but was, however, associated with increased levels of cAMP, apparently as a consequence of non- specific inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases. In the third part of the study, combining ML with formoterol caused (in most cases) additive inhibitory effects on the generation of ROS and LTB4, release of granule proteinases, as well as expression of CR3, which again were associated with elevations in cAMP and interference with Ca2+ mobilization. In conclusion, ML appears to attenuate neutrophil activation by CysLT1R-dependent and –independent mechanisms. In the case of the former by interfering with the modest sensitizing (priming) interactions of LTC4 and LTD4 with neutrophils, and in the latter by inhibition of PDEs, leading a to sustained elevation in cAMP, resulting in rapid clearance of Ca2+ from the cytosol and decreased uptake of the cation from the extracellular milieu. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Immunology / Unrestricted

L'awara (Astrocaryum vulgare M.) est le fruit d'un palmier utilisé principalement au niveau alimentaire pour sa pulpe riche en huile. L'objectif de ce travail a été de caractériser chimiquement l'huile de pulpe d'awara et d'évaluer ses propriétés anti‑inflammatoires dans différents modèles expérimentaux. L'huile de pulpe, dont les acides gras principaux sont l'acide oléique et palmitique, a montré une forte teneur en caroténoïdes. Les microconstituants identifés sont principalement représentés par le β‑carotène (caroténoïdes), le β‑sitostérol, l'arundoin (phytostérols) et l'α‑tocopérol. L'huile de pulpe a montré des effets anti‑inflammatoires dans un modèle in vivo de choc endotoxique par inhibition de la production de cytokines pro‑inflammatoires (tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)‑6) et augmentation de la production d'une cytokine anti‑inflammatoire (IL‑10). Ces effets anti‑inflammatoires ont été confirmés dans un modèle in vivo d'inflammation bronchique. L'huile de pulpe a diminué l'afflux de cellules inflammatoires au niveau pulmonaire, principalement d'éosinophiles et de lymphocytes. La fraction insaponifiable a, par la suite, montré des effets inhibiteurs sur la production de différents médiateurs inflammatoires (oxyde nitrique, prostaglandine E2, TNFα, IL‑6, IL‑10) ainsi que sur l'expression d'enzymes induites lors de l'inflammation (iNOS et COX‑2) dans un modèle in vitro de macrophages activés. La fraction insaponifiable a également montré un effet inhibiteur sur la production de cytokines (TNFα, d'IL‑6 et d'IL‑10) dans le modèle in vivo de choc endotoxique. Ces résultats confirment l'implication des microconstituants de l'huile de pulpe d'awara dans ses effets antioxydants et anti‑inflammatoires et suggèrent un rôle préventif et/ou thérapeutique de l'huile de pulpe d'awara et de sa fraction insaponifiable dans les pathologies associées à l'inflammation. / Awara (Astrocaryum vulgare M.) is a palm fruit mainly used for nutritional purpose because of its oily pulp. The aim of this study was to characterize awara pulp oil and evaluate its anti‑inflammatory properties in different experimental models. The pulp oil, whose major fatty acids are oleic and palmitic acid, showed a high content of carotenoids. The minor compounds identified are mainly represented by β‑carotene (carotenoids), β‑sitosterol, arundoin (phytosterols) and α‑tocopérol. The pulp oil showed anti‑inflammatory effects in an in vivo model of endotoxic shock by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)‑6) and increasing the production of an anti‑inflammatory cytokine (IL‑10). These anti‑inflammatory effects have been confirmed in an in vivo model of airway inflammation. The pulp oil has reduced the influx of inflammatory cells in the lungs, mainly of eosinophils and lymphocytes. The unsaponifiable fraction has subsequently shown inhibitory effects on the production of various inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, TNFα, IL‑6, IL‑10) and on the expression of enzymes induced during inflammation (iNOS and COX‑2) in an in vitro model of activated macrophages. The unsaponifiable fraction also showed an inhibitory effect on cytokine production (TNFα, IL‑6 and IL‑10) in endotoxic shock model. These results confirm the role of micronutrients of awara pulp oil in its anti‑inflammatory properties and suggest a preventive and/or therapeutic role of awara pulp oil and its unsaponifiable fraction in inflammation‑related diseases.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Biochemistry)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Dicerocaryum senecioides is a crawling herb that is found growing mostly in sandy areas of southern and south-eastern Africa and its small, hairy leaves have been used over the years as food, shampoo, and for treatment of various ailments. In this study, the dichloromethane (D2) fraction was prepared from a crude methanol extract of D. senecoides leaves, and its effect on the proliferation of RAW 264.7 murine macrophages was investigated. Treatment of the macrophages with the extract resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability as determined by the MTT assay and real time cell analysis. Cytotoxicity of the D2 fraction on the macrophages was demonstrated to be due to apoptosis by staining the cells with DAPI nucleic acid stain. Anti-inflammatory activity of D2 fraction on RAW cells was determined by evaluating intracellular ROS production by the DCFH-DA fluorescent assay. Cells treated with the D2 fraction and stimulated with PMA were found to have a lower fluorescence intensity compared to untreated, stimulated cells; thus mimicking the response observed in the resting cells. The percentage fluorescence in untreated, stimulated cells doubled, while no significant change was observed in the D2-treated cells. The effect of the D2 fraction on iNOS activity was also assessed. The fraction reduced the NO synthesised by iNOS in cells treated with the D2 fraction and stimulated with LPS dose-dependently. The D2 fraction was further fractionated by semi-preparative HPLC; and thin layer chromatography was used to analyse phytocompounds of the 96 HPLC sub-fractions as well as to screen these sub-fractions for anti-oxidative activity. Sub-fractions 1-7 and 33-39 showed an intensely pronounced DPPH-scavenging compound and this scavenging ability was confirmed by a quantitative DPPH assay that provided parallel results. The reducing potential of the sub-fractions was assessed by evaluating their Fe3+-reducing ability through the FRAP assay. Sub-fractions 1-7 and 33-39 displayed remarkable reducing potential. Taken together with the DPPH-scavenging activity, these findings suggest that HPLC sub-fractions 1-7 and 33-39 possess a compound(s) with impressive antioxidant activity. These findings merit the D2 fraction as an extract that can be used to control chronic inflammation as it does not only inhibit free radical production, but also scavenges excessive ROS and has the ability to induce apoptosis in the macrophages responsible for dysregulated production of the free radicals. The extract also has commendable chemoprotective and chemotherapeutic potential as it demonstrated pro-apoptotic activity along with prevention of excess free-radical production. / National Research Foundation and the University of Limpopo Research Office

This thesis is engaged in the synthesis of polysubstituted pyrimidines with anti- inflammatory properties. Such molecules can inhibit production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The aim of this study was to enhance water-solubility and anti-inflammatory efficacy of such derivatives via structural modifications of the lead scaffold. Among applied synthetic tools, the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling was the prevalent reaction, however, many other synthetic procedures (Heck reaction, condensation, borylation, ozonolysis, nucleophilic substitution, etc.) were utilized as well. Overall, 43 final products were prepared. The anti-inflammatory efficacy (inhibition of PGE2 production) was successfully increased as the most potent compound achieved three orders of magnitude higher activity compared to the current lead structure WQE-134. Furthermore, no general influence of the length of the substituent in the C5 position of pyrimidine (C5pyr) on the anti-inflammatory efficacy of synthesized compounds was observed. Significant bioavailability obstacle in future development of the current lead WQE-134 is its poor solubility which was successfully enhanced by introduction of heteroatom bearing moieties to C5pyr. The most water-soluble compound achieved two orders of magnitude higher solubility than WQE-134 while...

Gallic acid is a known antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory activity in addition to other biological activities, but GA efficiency is restricted due to low permeability and low oral bioavailability. This study was designed to investigate the solubility, permeability, oral bioavailability, enzymatic stability with cytochrome CYP2D6, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of novel gallic acid sulfonamide derivatives; TMBS, and THBS. In addition, a novel in silico permeability model was designed to predict the permeability and bioavailability of eighty derivatives of GA. In sillico prediction of intestinal permeability of GA derivative indicated an increase in permeability with increased lipophilicity and decreased aqueous solubility, replacing the carboxylic group with sulfonamide group has increased intestinal permeability. A significant (P <0.01) increase was observed in the permeability of TMBS and THBS over GA, in both gastric fluids and HIEC cells. TMBS was O-demethylated by CYP2D6. TMBS had greater ROS scavenging activity than GA in HIEC-6 cells. There was a significant (P< 0.05) increase in anti-inflammatory activity of THBS, and TMBS compared to ibuprofen. TMBS, and THBS had better oral bioavailability than GA. This data suggests that the in silico permeability model can be used in the future to study new candidate of gallic acid, and further in vivo and clinical investigations are required to introduce TMBS and THBS as a new antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs.