Terminalia ferdinandiana, a traditional medicinal plant of Australia, alleviates hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress and inflammation, in vitro

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundOxidative stress and inflammation are the underlying factors in many chronic debilitating diseases and commonly intertwined. Terminalia ferdinandiana is a traditional medicinal plant, endemic to Australia and is a rich source of many bioactive phytochemicals such as ellagic acid (EA) with known antioxidant capacity.MethodsWe investigated the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of an aqueous food grade EA enriched (EAE) extract of T. ferdinandiana. Caco-2 and KERTr cell lines were treated with EAE or pure EA (used as reference control), followed by the exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and gene expression of molecular markers associated with oxidative stress and inflammation were monitored.ResultsSignificant reduction in ROS production was observed in both cell types treated with 100 or 200 µg/mL EA or EAE. Treatment of cells with EAE or EA showed upregulation of mRNA expression of the antioxidative gene superoxide dismutase (SOD)-2 and downregulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), soluble cell adhesion molecule (sICAM), and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Neither EAE nor EA had any effect on the constitutively expressed COX1.ConclusionsThe antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of T. ferdinandiana extract on mammalian cells exposed to H2O2 suggests the potential of using this traditional medicinal plant in preventing oxidative damage and inflammation related diseases.