Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of <i>Stellera chamaejasme</i> L. Roots and Aerial Parts Extracts
Temuulen Selenge,
Sara F. Vieira,
Odontuya Gendaram,
Rui L. Reis,
Soninkhishig Tsolmon,
Enkhtuul Tsendeekhuu,
Helena Ferreira,
Nuno M. Neves
Affiliations
Temuulen Selenge
Department of Biotechnology and Nutrition, School of Industrial Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, 8th Khoroo, Baga Toiruu 34, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar 14191, Mongolia
Sara F. Vieira
3B’s Research Group, I3BS—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Odontuya Gendaram
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, Mongolian University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sonsgolon’s Road 4/A Songinokhairkhan District 20th Khoroo, Ulaanbaatar 46520, Mongolia
Rui L. Reis
3B’s Research Group, I3BS—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Soninkhishig Tsolmon
Tana Lab, Graduate School of Business, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar 14191, Mongolia
Enkhtuul Tsendeekhuu
Department of Biotechnology and Nutrition, School of Industrial Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, 8th Khoroo, Baga Toiruu 34, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar 14191, Mongolia
Helena Ferreira
3B’s Research Group, I3BS—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Nuno M. Neves
3B’s Research Group, I3BS—Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
Natural products, mainly plants, have a crucial role in folk medicine. Particularly, Stellera chamaejasme L. has been traditionally used in Mongolian medicine to treat various diseases, including chronic tracheitis, tuberculosis, and psoriasis. In this study, ethanol (EtOH) and dichloromethane (DCM) extracts of its roots (R) and aerial parts (AP) were evaluated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Thin-layer chromatography demonstrated the presence of flavonoids, namely kaempferol and quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside, only in the EtOH-AP. Conversely, it showed that kaempferol, quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside, coumarin, luteolin, rutin, morin, and riboflavin were not present in the other three extracts. The S. chamaejasme extracts exhibited strong antioxidant activity. In addition, the roots extracts presented the highest antioxidant activity against peroxyl radicals, with the EtOH-R being the most potent (IC50 = 0.90 ± 0.07 µg/mL). S. chamaejasme extracts also efficiently inhibited the production of one of the main pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, in a dose-dependent manner by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. Particularly, DCM-R was the strongest extract, reducing ≈ 91.5% of the IL-6 production. Since this extract was the most effective, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were performed and demonstrated the presence of two fatty acids (palmitic acid and 9-octadecenoic acid), one fatty alcohol (1-hexadecanol), and one triterpenoid (squalene) that can contribute to the observed bioactivity. Herewith, S. chamaejasme extracts, mainly DCM-R, exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that could be applied as new and innovative natural formulations for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.
