| This paper studies the anti-inflammatory effect of total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd) Haw and its mechanisms of action. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw extracted by two different processes (water extraction-alcohol precipitation method/WEAP and ultrasonic wave-alcohol extraction method/UWAE) through the models of acetic acid-induced peritoneal capillary permeability in mice, cotton-pellet granuloma of the mice and egg white-induced rat paw oedema. Moreover, total flavonoids extracted by WEAP method were used in the study of anti-inflammatory mechanism of Opuntia monacantha (Willd) Haw:The effect of total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd) Haw on the release of vasoactive amines was investigated by fluorescence method to detect the histamine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) contents in inflammatory exudate of paw edema induced by egg white in rats.To investigate the effect of total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Wild.) Haw on COX-1 and COX-2 activity, the contents of TXB2 and PGI2 in erparinized whole blood were detected based on human whole blood assays. And the modified colorimetric method was used to observe the effect of total flavonoids on 5-LOX activity, in order to discuss the anti-inflammatory mechanism of total flavonoids from the perspective of arachidonic acid metabolism.Results:1. High-dosage of both WEAP and UWAE total flavonoids had significant inhibitory action on penetration of capillary vessel in mice(P<0.01).Furthermore, compared with dexamethasone sodium phosphate, high-dosage of WEAP had a better anti-inflammatory effect. Different doses of WEAP and UWAE total flavonoids also significantly decreased the proliferation of granuloma caused by implantation cotton pellet in mice (P<0.01), anti-inflammatory effect of the high-dosage of WEAP and low-dosage of UWAE was similar to dexamethasone sodium phosphate.But total flavonoids extracted by UWAE method were associated with excessive toxicity and not suitable for medical use. High-dosage of WEAP total flavonoids exhibited good attenuation effects on rat paw edema induced by egg white(P<0.01),and its anti-inflammatory effect was similar to dexamethasone sodium phosphate. In conclusion, total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw has remarkable anti-inflammatory effects in the animal models of both acute and chronic inflammation.2. Low, medium, and high-dose of total flavonoids had significant inhibitory action on the release of histaminset and 5-HT in the edema paw tissue (P<0.01). The anti-inflammatory effect of high-dosage total flavonoids was close to dexamethasone sodium phosphate. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of total flavonoids presented a concentration-dependent manner in the concentration range of 3.75 to 15 mg·kg-1. This result indicated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw was related with inhibiting release of vasoactive amines.3. High-dose of total flavonoids showed a significant increase of TXB2 content in erparinized whole blood (P<0.05), while total flavonoids had no significant effect on TXB2 content in medium and low-dose (P>0.05). Total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw made a significant decrease of PGI2 content in erparinized whole blood (P<0.05) in all doses, especially the low dose of total flavonoids (P<0.01) of which the effect was approximate to that of celecoxib. In addition, each dose of total flavonoids showed a significant inhibition of 5-LOX activity (P<0.01), and this effect on inhibition showed a certain concentration dependent manner within the concentration range from 0.06 to 1.5 mg·mL-1. The results indicated that total flavonoids from Opuntia monacantha (Willd.) Haw could inhibit COX and 5-LOX activity or expression to block arachidonic acid metabolism which played a important role in inflammation. |
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