Antiobesity effects of the water-soluble fraction of the ethanol extract of Smilax china L. leaf in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Background/objectives: Several medicinal properties of Smilax china L. have been studied including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, the antiobesity activity and mechanism by which the water-soluble fraction of this plant mediates its effects are not clear.

IVSE, isolated from Inula japonica,suppresses LPS-induced NO production via NF-κB and MAPK inactivation in RAW264.7 cells.

Aims: Our previous study showed that the extract of Inula japonica Thunb. (I. japonica) has anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic activities.

Britanin Suppresses IgE/Ag-Induced Mast Cell Activation by Inhibiting the Syk Pathway.

The aim of this study was to determine whether britanin, isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos), modulates the generation of allergic inflammatory mediators in activated mast cells. To understand the biological activity of britanin, the authors investigated its effects on the generation of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), leukotriene C4 (LTC4), and degranulation in IgE/Ag-induced bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). Britanin dose dependently inhibited degranulation and the generations of PGD2 and LTC4 in BMMCs.

Suppressive effects of britanin, a sesquiterpene compound isolated from Inulae flos, on mast cell-mediated inflammatory responses.

Mast cells are central players in immediate-type hypersensitvity and inflammatory responses. In the present study, the effects of britanin on the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction in mice and on the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human mast cell line (HMC-1) were evaluated. The oral administration of britanin (10-20 mg/kg) decreased the mast cell-mediated PCA reaction in IgE-sensitized mice.

Anti-inflammatory terpenes from flowers of Inula japonica.

Five new terpenes (1-5) and ten known compounds (6-15) were isolated from Inula japonica, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 3 and 14 showed positive inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production. Furthermore, compound 14 suppressed both leukotriene C4 synthesis and degranulation in c-kit ligand-induced bone marrow-derived mast cells.

Britanin suppresses LPS-induced nitric oxide, PGE2 and cytokine production via NF-κB and MAPK inactivation in RAW 264.7 cells.

Little is known about the biological properties of britanin, which is isolated from the flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos). Based on our previous studies that Inulae Flos had anti-inflammation and anti-asthmatic activities, we tried to find the bioactive compounds from it. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of britanin on the inflammatory mediators as well as on nuclear factor (NF)-кB and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation were evaluated in RAW 264.