Lucyoside B, a triterpenoid saponin from Luffa cylindrica, inhibits the production of inflammatory mediators via both nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1 pathways in activated macrophages

• Main Authors: Yixin Han, Xiaoyu Zhang, Ruijuan Qi, Ximeng Li, Yuan Gao, Zhongmei Zou, Runlan Cai, Yun Qi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of Functional Foods
• Subjects: Lucyoside B; Inflammation; Nuclear factor-κB; Activator protein-1; Macrophage; Lipopolysaccharide
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464620301651

Lucyoside B is one of the major triterpenoid saponins in the fruit of Luffa cylindrica. Although some chemical and bioactive studies on the extracts of Luffa cylindrica have been reported, pharmacological action of lucyoside B remains obscure. In this study, we explored the anti-inflammatory activity of lucyoside B in activated macrophages. Our data showed that lucyoside B suppressed the proinflammatory mediators, such as iNOS, IL-6 and MCP-1, at the transcriptional and translational levels, as well as the production of NO, indicating the potent anti-inflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide-primed macrophages. Mechanistically, lucyoside B inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα and thus prevented the nuclear translocation of p65 to suppress NF-κB transcriptional activity. Concurrently, it also decreased JNK1/2, ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation to reduce the transcriptional activity of AP-1. Our study suggests that lucyoside B may be a beneficial food constituent for inflammatory diseases.