Chlorophyll revisited: anti-inflammatory activities of chlorophyll a and inhibition of expression of TNF-α gene by the same.

Abstract

In view of the folklore use of green leaves to treat inflammation, the anti-inflammatory property of chlorophylls and their degradation products were studied. Chlorophyll a and pheophytin a (magnesium-free chlorophyll a) from fresh leaves showed potent anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice and formalin-induced paw edema in rats. Chlorophyll a inhibited bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α (a pro-inflammatory cytokine) gene expression in HEK293 cells, but it did not influence the expression of inducible nitric acid synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 genes. Chlorophyll b only marginally inhibited both inflammation and TNF-α gene expression. But both chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b showed the same level of marginal inhibition on 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate-induced NF-κB activation. Chlorophylls and pheophytins showed in vitro anti-oxidant activity. The study shows that chlorophyll a and its degradation products are valuable and abundantly available anti-inflammatory agents and promising for the development of phytomedicine or conventional medicine to treat inflammation and related diseases.

• Authors: Appian Subramoniam, Velikkakathu V Asha, Sadasivan Ajikumaran Nair, Sreejith P Sasidharan, Parameswaran K Sureshkumar, Krishnan Nair Rajendran, Devarajan Karunagaran, Krishnan Ramalingam
• Journal: Inflammation (Inflammation) Vol. 35 Issue 3 Pg. 959-66 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1573-2576 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22038065 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Lipopolysaccharides
• NF-kappa B
• Pheophytins
• Plant Extracts
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
• Chlorophyll
• Formaldehyde
• chlorophyll b
• pheophytin a
• Carrageenan
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
• Cyclooxygenase 2
• Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate
• Chlorophyll A

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Carrageenan
• Chlorophyll (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Chlorophyll A
• Chromolaena
• Cyclooxygenase 2 (metabolism)
• Edema (drug therapy)
• Eupatorium
• Formaldehyde
• HEK293 Cells
• Humans
• Inflammation (drug therapy)
• Lipopolysaccharides (immunology)
• Mice
• Moraceae
• NF-kappa B (biosynthesis)
• Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II (metabolism)
• Pheophytins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate (pharmacology)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (biosynthesis, genetics)