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Immunosuppressive activity of an aqueous Viola tricolor herbal extract.

ABSTRACT: Heartsease (Viola tricolor L.), a member of the Violaceae family, has a long history as a medicinal plant and has been documented in the Pharmacopoeia of Europe. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties it is regarded as a traditional remedy against skin diseases, for example for the treatment of scabs, itching, ulcers, eczema or psoriasis, and it is also used in the treatment of inflammation of the lungs and chest such as bronchitis or asthma. Because T-cells play an important role in the pathological process of inflammatory diseases we investigated the effect of an aqueous Viola extract on lymphocyte functions and explored the 'active' principle of the extract using bioactivity-guided fractionation.An aqueous Viola extract was prepared by C18 solid-phase extraction. Effects on proliferation of activated lymphocytes (using the cell membrane permeable fluorescein dye CFSE), apoptosis and necrosis (using annexin V and propidium iodide staining), interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor expression (using fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies) and IL-2 cytokine secretion (using an ELISA-based bead array system) were measured by flow cytometry. Influence on lymphocyte polyfunctionality was characterized by Viola extract-induced production of IFN-? and TNF-?, as well as its influence on lymphocyte degranulation activity. Fractionation and phytochemical analysis of the extract were performed by RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry.The aqueous Viola extract inhibited proliferation of activated lymphocytes by reducing IL-2 cytokine secretion without affecting IL-2 receptor expression. Similarly, effector functions were affected as indicated by the reduction of IFN-? and TNF-? production; degranulation capacity of activated lymphocytes remained unaffected. Bioassay-guided fractionation and phytochemical analysis of the extract led to identification of circular plant peptides, so called cyclotides, as bioactive components.An aqueous Viola extract contains bioactive cyclotides, which inhibit proliferation of activated lymphocytes in an IL-2 dependent manner. The findings provide a rationale for use of herbal Viola preparations in the therapy of disorders related to an overactive immune system. However, further studies to evaluate its clinical potency and potential risks have to be performed.

SUBMITTER: Hellinger R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3918579 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Immunosuppressive activity of an aqueous Viola tricolor herbal extract.

Hellinger Roland R Koehbach Johannes J Fedchuk Halyna H Sauer Barbara B Huber Roman R Gruber Christian W CW Gründemann Carsten C

Journal of ethnopharmacology 20131108 1

<h4>Ethnopharmacological relevance</h4>Heartsease (Viola tricolor L.), a member of the Violaceae family, has a long history as a medicinal plant and has been documented in the Pharmacopoeia of Europe. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties it is regarded as a traditional remedy against skin diseases, for example for the treatment of scabs, itching, ulcers, eczema or psoriasis, and it is also used in the treatment of inflammation of the lungs and chest such as bronchitis or asthma. Because T-cel ...[more]

PMID: 24216163

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Project description:In traditional oriental medicine, A. fistulosum and V. mandshurica are considered to be effective in promoting blood circulation. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether a solution containing both A. fistulosum and V. mandshurica (AFE?+?VME) extracts has synergistic effects on the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity.Anti-obesity effects of an herbal extract containing Allium fistulosum and Viola mandshurica (AFE?+?VME) were investigated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. AFE?+?VME was orally administrated to mice with the HFD at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. We observed the effects of mixed extract on body weight, fat mass, serum lipid levels, and mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes in the adipose tissue of mice.The nutritional analysis revealed that this mixed extract is high in carbohydrate (72.2 g/100 g) and protein (11.5 g/100 g); low in fat (1.7 g/100 g); rich in vitamins E (4.8 mg/100 g), B1 (14.8 mg/100 g), B2 (1.0 mg/100 g), niacin (7.9 mg/100 g), and folic acid (1.57 mg/100 g); and rich in minerals such as calcium (600 mg/100 g), iron (106.1 mg/100 g), and zinc (5.8 mg/100 g). The oral administration of AFE?+?VME in obese mice reduced body weight, tissue weight, adipocyte size, and lipid accumulation in the liver compared with HFD control mice. AFE?+?VME also decreased serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and leptin concentrations. Furthermore, AFE?+?VME markedly increased the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-? (PPAR-?), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), and adiponectin and decreased leptin expression in the epididymal white adipose tissue. Our results suggest that the extract containing A. fistulosum and V. mandshurica improved lipid metabolism via the up-regulation of PPAR-?, UCP-2, and adiponectin expression and the down-regulation of leptin in HFD-induced obese mice.Therefore, the extract containing Allium fistulosum and Viola mandshurica may be a potentially effective therapy for obesity and its related metabolic disorders such as hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance.

Dataset Information

Immunosuppressive activity of an aqueous Viola tricolor herbal extract.

Publications

Immunosuppressive activity of an aqueous Viola tricolor herbal extract.

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