Absorption and Metabolism of Luteolin in Rats and Humans in Relation to in Vitro Anti-inflammatory Effects.

Luteolin is a flavonoid present in plants in the form of aglycone or glucosides. In this study, luteolin glucosides (i.e.

Metabolic Fate of Luteolin in Rats: Its Relationship to Anti-inflammatory Effect.

Luteolin is a naturally occurring flavone that reportedly has anti-inflammatory effects. Because most luteolin is conjugated following intestinal absorption, free luteolin is likely present at low levels in the body. Therefore, luteolin metabolites are presumably responsible for luteolin bioactivity.

Quercetin suppresses immune cell accumulation and improves mitochondrial gene expression in adipose tissue of diet-induced obese mice.

Scope: To examine the effect of dietary quercetin on the function of epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) in Western diet-induced obese mice.

Methods And Results: C57BL/6J mice were fed a control diet; a Western diet high in fat, cholesterol, and sucrose; or the same Western diet containing 0.05% quercetin for 18 weeks.

Isoenzyme-specific up-regulation of glutathione transferase and aldo-keto reductase mRNA expression by dietary quercetin in rat liver.

The impact of quercetin on the mRNA expression of hepatic enzymes involved in drug metabolism was evaluated with a DNA microarray and real-time PCR. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an experimental diet containing either 0, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 g/kg of quercetin for 15 days.

Antiproliferative effect on human cancer cell lines after treatment with nimbolide extracted from an edible part of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica).

Nimbolide, a triterpenoid extracted from the flowers of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), was found to have antiproliferative activity against some cancer cell lines. Treatment of cells with 0.5-5.

Isolation of an isoflavone-metabolizing, Clostridium-like bacterium, strain TM-40, from human faeces.

Recently, the biological effects of isoflavones have attracted much attention. Intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the metabolism and bioavailability of isoflavones. However, few reports have discussed intestinal bacteria that metabolize daidzein into dihydrodaidzein.

Comparative studies of some phenolic compounds (quercetin, rutin, and ferulic acid) affecting hepatic fatty acid synthesis in mice.

The physiological activities of some phenolic compounds affecting hepatic fatty acid synthesis in mice were compared. Male ICR mice were fed an experimental diet containing 1% quercetin dihydrate, rutin, or ferulic acid or a control diet free of phenolic compounds for 15 days. Quercetin significantly lowered serum cholesterol and phospholipid levels in mice.

Inhibition of colon cancer (HT-29) cell proliferation by a triterpenoid isolated from Azadirachta indica is accompanied by cell cycle arrest and up-regulation of p21.

Nimbolide, a natural triterpenoid present in the edible parts of the neem tree ( Azadirachta indica), was found to be growth-inhibitory in human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells. Nimbolide treatment of cells at 2.5 - 10 microM resulted in moderate to very strong growth inhibition.

Apoptosis, necrosis and cell proliferation-inhibition by cyclosporine A in U937 cells (a human monocytic cell line).

The immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine A (CsA) has been used in both organ transplantation and the treatment of autoimmune disorders. However, the drug causes adverse effects in the kidney, liver and nervous system, characterized by cellular loss in the affected area. Apoptosis has been shown to play a role in CsA-induced cytotoxicity.

Procyanidin trimers to pentamers fractionated from apple inhibit melanogenesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells.

The effects of apple polyphenols on melanogenesis in B16 mouse melanoma cells were investigated. The inhibitory effect of apple polyphenols was stronger than that of arbutin or kojic acid. Three polyphenol fractions (phenolic acid derivatives, procyanidins and other flavonoids) were isolated, and the procyanidins were fractionated according to the degree of polymerization using normal-phase chromatography.

Coumarin and flavone derivatives from estragon and thyme as inhibitors of chemical mediator release from RBL-2H3 Cells.

Estragon and thyme extracts showed potent inhibitory activities against chemical mediator release from rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells. 7-Methoxycoumarin was isolated from estragon, and 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,3'-trimethoxyflavone, 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone and luteolin were isolated from thyme as active components. Structure-activity relationship studies among the active isolates and their related compounds indicated that the oxygen-containing functional group at the 7-position of the coumarin structure was advantageous for the inhibitory activity and that methylation of the hydroxyl group at the 4'-position of the flavone structure was disadvantageous.

Quercetin-4'-glucoside is more potent than quercetin-3-glucoside in protection of rat intestinal mucosa homogenates against iron ion-induced lipid peroxidation.

Quercetin is a typical antioxidative flavonoid found in vegetables, which is more commonly present as its glucosides, quercetin-3-glucoside (Q3G) and quercetin-4'-glucoside (Q4'G). The main aim of this study was to estimate the antioxidant activity of Q3G and Q4'G on iron ion-driven lipid peroxidation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Q4'G markedly suppressed the lipid peroxidation when rat gastrointestinal mucosa homogenates were incubated with Fe(NO3)3 and ascorbic acid.

An improved method for measuring vascular permeability in rat and mouse skin.

Introduction: We have improved a rodent vascular permeability measurement method employing fluorescent dye-labeled bovine serum albumin.

Methods: The incubation duration for direct fluorescent detection of skin injected with an inflammatory agent was decided based on regression curve parameters with the correlation coefficient obtained from the least squares method.

Results: A suitable incubation time was determined to be 2-6 h.

Induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and the anthocyanins.

Among ethanol extracts of 10 edible berries, bilberry extract was found to be the most effective at inhibiting the growth of HL60 human leukemia cells and HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells in vitro. Bilberry extract induced apoptotic cell bodies and nucleosomal DNA fragmentation in HL60 cells. The proportion of apoptotic cells induced by bilberry extract in HCT116 was much lower than that in HL60 cells, and DNA fragmentation was not induced in the former.