Nat Prod Commun. 2014 Jul;9(7):945-8.

Standardization of solvent extracts from Onopordum acanthium fruits by GC-MS, HPLC-UV/DAD, HPLC-TQMS and 1H-NMR and evaluation of their inhibitory effects on the expression of IL-8 and E-selectin in immortalized endothelial cells (HUVECtert).

Daci A, Gold-Binder M, Garzon D, Patea A, Beretta G.

In this work we have characterized and standardized the solvent extracts of the fruits of Onopordum acanthium, a plant widely distributed from Europe to Asia and used in different traditional medicines.

Fruits were extracted with methanol (ME) and n-hexane (HE) and the extract compositions determined by GC-MS, HPLC-UV/DAD, HPLC-TQMS and 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Anti-inflammatory activity (IL-8 and E-selectin, qPCR and ELISA) was investigated in HUVECtert cells stimulated with TNF-alpha and LPS.

(i) Arctiin and isochlorogenic acid were found in ME (87 +/- 2%, w/w, and 10.2 +/- 0.2%, w/w; 38.0 +/- 3.2 mg/gFRUITS and 3.5 +/- 0.4 mg/gFRUITS) and

(ii) paraffins in the HE (195.6 +/- 5.6 mg/g).

A dose dependent (from 15 to 40 microgME/mL corresponding to 20-75 microM arctiin) inhibition of E-selectin and of the induction of IL-8 was induced by LPS.

The results of this study support the use of O. acanthium fruits in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent and for cancer prevention and treatment.

PMID:  25230500