Title:Neuroprotective Effect of Lithospermum officinale Callus Extract on
Inflamed Primary Microglial Cells
Volume: 25
Issue: 5
Author(s): Maryam Kheyrollah, Mohsen Farhadpour, Farzaneh Sabouni and Kamahldin Haghbeen*
Affiliation:
- Department of Plant Bioproducts, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
Keywords:
Antioxidant, caffeic acid, callus extract, central nervous system, neuroinflammation, rosmarinic acid.
Abstract:
Background: Plants that have therapeutic features for humans or animals are commonly
referred to as "medicinal plants". They produce secondary metabolites with antioxidant, antimicrobial
and/or anti-cancer effects. Lithospermum officinale, known as European stone seed, is a
famous medicinal herb. However, due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PzAl) in the root extract of
L.officinal, there are therapeutic limitations to this herb.
Objective: This research was devoted to the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory capacity of methanolic
extracts of L. officinale callus (LoE) (fresh cells) on rat microglial cells, the immune cells of
the Central Nervous System, which play an essential role in the responses to neuroinflammation.
Methods: Primary microglia were obtained from neonatal Wistar rats (1 to 3-days old), and then
treated with various concentration of CfA and methanolic extracts of 17 and 31-day-old L. officinale
callus before LPS-stimulation. In addition to HPLC analysis of the extracts, viability, nitric
oxide production, and evaluation of pro-inflammatory genes and cytokines in the inflamed microglia
were investigated by MTT, Griess methos, qrt-PCR, and ELISA.
Results: Methanolic extract of the 17-day-old callus of L. officinale exhibited anti-inflammatory
effects on LPS-stimulated microglial cells much higher than observed for CfA. The data were
further supported by the decreased expression of Nos2, Tnf-α, and Cox-2 mRNA and the suppression
of TNF-α and IL-1β release in the activated microglial cells pretreated with the effective dose
of LoE (0.8 mg mL-1).
Conclusion: It was assumed that the better anti-neuroinflammatory performance of LoE than CfA
in LPS-activated primary microglia could be a result of the synergism of the components of the
extract and the lipophilic nature of RsA as the main phenolic acid of LoE. Considering that LoE
shows a high antioxidant capacity and lacks PzAl, it is anticipated that LoE extract might be considered
a reliable substitute to play a key role in the preparation of neuroprotective pharmaceutical
formulas, which require in vivo research and further experiments.
