posted on 2016-02-26, 00:00authored byLih-Geeng Chen, Yun-Sheng Jan, Po-Wei Tsai, Hisayoshi Norimoto, Seiwa Michihara, Chiaki Murayama, Ching-Chiung Wang
The
rhizomes of many Atractylodes species,
including Atractylodes chinensis Koidzumi, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi, and Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi, are collectively
termed Atractylodis Rhizoma. We prepared n-hexane
extracts of the three species and evaluated their anti-inflammatory
effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Among
all n-hexane extracts, those of A.
japonica most strongly inhibited nitric oxide (NO)
production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells; five sesquiterpenes, atractylon,
atractylenolide I, atractylenolide II, atractylenolide III, and 8-epiasterolid,
were isolated from A. japonica. The
phytochemical content of A. japonica was similar to those of A. chinensis and A. macrocephala. Moreover, the
atractylon concentration was higher in A. japonica than in A. chinensis and A. macrocephala. Atractylon significantly inhibited
NO and prostaglandin E2 production as well as inducible
NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7
cells. Atractylon (40 mg/kg) also significantly reduced the acetic-acid-induced
writhing response, carrageenan-induced paw edema, and hot-plate latent
pain response in mice. According to the results, A.
japonica has anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive
effects and atractylon is the major active component of A. japonica. Therefore, atractylon can be used as
a bioactivity marker in A. japonica.