Effects of Helichrysum bracteatum flower extracts on UVB irradiation-induced inflammatory biomarker expression

Abstract

Abstract Background The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Helichrysum bracteatum (H. bracteatum) flower extracts in vitro. Methods H. bracteatum flowers were extracted with water, ethanol and 1,3-butylene glycol, and the anti-oxidative activities of the extracts were measured using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The inhibition of the expression of inflammation-related genes, including tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), was evaluated in vitro using reverse transcription-PCR in ultraviolet B (UVB)-irradiated human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKa cells). To investigate the inhibitory effects of H. bracteatum flower extracts on UVB-induced inflammatory responses in HEKa cells, the production of nitric oxide (NO) and TNF-α was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation; statistical significance was calculated using the Student’s t-test. Results The DPPH assay results showed that H. bracteatum flower extracts have good anti-oxidative effects and inhibited the expression of inflammation-related genes IL-6, COX-2 and TNF-α. Moreover, the production of NO and TNF-α was inhibited by H. bracteatum flower extracts. Conclusions These findings indicate that H. bracteatum flower extracts have efficacy against UVB-induced inflammation-related gene expression.