chlorophyll-b and Edema

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.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Carrageenan; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll A; Chromolaena; Cyclooxygenase 2; Edema; Eupatorium; Formaldehyde; HEK293 Cells; Humans; Inflammation; Lipopolysaccharides; Mice; Moraceae; NF-kappa B; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Pheophytins; Plant Extracts; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Potent antigenotoxic and anti-tumor promoting activities of chlorophyll a from green tea (camellia sinensis) have been shown using in vitro cell culture experiments (Okai Y. et al. (1996) Mutation Res., 370, 11-17). In the present study, the authors analyzed in vivo effects of chlorophyll a and b from green tea on tumor promotion in mouse skin in the following ways. 1. When chlorophyll a and b from green tea were applied before each treatment by a tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on BALB/c mouse skin initiated by 7, 12-dimethylbenz [a] an-thracene (DMBA), they caused significant suppression in a dose-dependent manner against BALB/c mouse skin tumorigenesis. 2. Chlorophyll a and b showed significant suppressive effects against TPA-induced inflammatory reaction such as edema formation in BALB/c mouse ear skin in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that chlorophyll a and b possess potent suppressive activities against tumor promotion in mouse skin.

Topics: 9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; Animals; Carcinogens; Chlorophyll; Chlorophyll A; Edema; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pigments, Biological; Skin Neoplasms; Tea; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate