Search

Artemisia iwayomogi (AI) is a perennial herb found in Korea. Its ground parts are dried and used in food and traditional medicine for treating hepatitis, inflammation, cholelithiasis, and jaundice. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of single compounds isolated from AI extracts on adipose tissue were investigated. Results demonstrated that caffeoylquinic acid analogs strongly inhibited adipocyte differentiation from 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and reduced neutral lipids in differentiated adipocytes. Accordingly, lipid accumulation in adipocytes decreased, and lipid droplets became granulated. Caffeoylquinic acid analogs suppressed the expression of adipocyte differentiation marker genes, namely, Cebpa, Lep, and Fabp4, but it induced the expression of Ucp1, Ppargc1a, and Fgf21, which are browning biomarkers. Therefore, caffeoylquinic acid analogs from AI inhibited preadipocyte differentiation and induced adipose tissue browning, suggesting that these compounds could be promising therapeutic agents for obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi are well-known herbal medicines which are used as hepatotherapeutic drugs. These two herbal species can be confused with each other, owing to their morphological similarity and similar Korean common names of "Injinho" and "Haninjin," respectively. Molecular markers to distinguish between the two plants were developed. Six primer sets were designed and verified, and their efficiencies were found to range from 90.28 to 98.29%. The developed primer sets had significant correlation coefficient values between the cycle threshold values and the logarithm of DNA concentration for their target species (R2 > 0.98), with slopes ranged from − 3.3637 to − 3.5793. The specificity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was confirmed with 14 other species. Additionally, 16 commercial medicinal herbs and 40 blind samples were tested to evaluate their reliability. Collectively, the findings indicate that developed qPCR-based target-specific primer sets have potential applicability toward protection of consumers' rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation causes various neurological disorders, including depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, regulation of neuroinflammation is a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammation-related neurological disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether yomogin, isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, has anti-neuroinflammatory effects. First, we evaluated the effects of yomogin by assessing pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. The results showed that yomogin inhibited the increase in neuroinflammatory factors, including nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and suppressed phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38, which participate in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. To confirm these effects in vivo, we measured the activation of astrocyte and microglia in LPS-injected mouse brains. Results showed that yomogin treatment decreased astrocyte and microglia activations. Collectively, these results suggest that yomogin suppresses neuroinflammation by regulating the MAPK pathway and it could be a potential candidate for inflammation-mediated neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation, predominantly mediated by microglial activation, is a key immunological response in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. In our preliminary study, the aerial part of Artemisia iwayomogi inhibits LPS-induced microglial activation. The present study aims to identify chemical constituents with anti-neuroinflammatory properties in the aerial parts of A. iwayomogi. Two new guaianolide sesquiterpenes, iwayomogins A and B (1 and 2), along with thirteen known sesquiterpene lactones (3–15), one diterpene glycoside (16), and nine phenolic compounds (17–25) were isolated from the aerial parts of A. iwayomogi by repeated chromatography. The structures of the isolates were elucidated by their spectroscopic data. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells. 2,3-Dehydro-1-epi-asperilin (11) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on NO production (IC50 value of 1.78 μM). In the molecular docking study, three compounds (1, 2, and 11) showed good binding affinities with iNOS. Additionally, compounds 1, 2, and 11 inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) in dose-dependent manners. The present study demonstrates that the chemical constituents from A. iwayomogi inhibit NO production and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in BV-2 cells. However, further evaluation with biological experiments utilizing in vivo models is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the search for antibiotic alternatives from safe and effective medicinal plants against fish pathogenic bacteria, we found that a combined extract (CE) of 1:1 (w/w) ratio of Angelica gigas Nakai roots and aerial parts of Artemisia iwayomogi Kitamura showed antibacterial activity against the fish pathogenic bacteria. By antibacterial activity-guided fractionations and isolations, five com-pounds were isolated and identified as decursinol angelate (1), decursin (2), xanthotoxin (3), demethylsuberosin (4), and 2,4-di-hydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone (5) through spectroscopic analyses, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Among the compounds, 1 and 2 showed the highest antibacterial activities against Streptococcus iniae and Vibrio anguillarum, showing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 62.5–250 μg/mL. Compounds 3, 4, and 5 were also found to be active, with MICs of 31.25–1,000 μg/mL for those strains. Furthermore, active compounds, 1 and 2 in CE were simul-taneously quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem MS (HPLC-MS/MS). The average contents of 1 and 2 in CE was 3.68% and 6.14%, respectively. The established method showed reliable linearity (r2 > 0.99), good precision, accuracy, and specificity with intra- and inter-day variations of < 2 % and recoveries of 90.13%–108.57%. These results may be helpful for establishing the chemical profile of CE for its commercialization as an antibiotic alternative in aquaculture.

Abstract In Korean folk medicine, Artemisia iwayomogi has largely been employed for the improvement of diabetic complications and hepatic function as well as in the treatment of female diseases and skin whitening. Accordingly, the present study sought to assess cosmeceutical activity of Artemisia iwayomogi. Through activity-guided fractionation, scopolin (AI-1), 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-acetophenone 4-O-β-D-glucoside (AI-2), scopoletin (AI-3), kaempferol-3-O-methyl ether (AI-4) and luteolin (AI-5) were isolated from ethyl acetate and water fractions of Artemisia iwayomogi. Of them, AI-4 and AI-5 exhibited strong antioxidative and whitening effects. In addition, AI-1, AI-3, AI-4, and AI-5 demonstrated considerable anti-wrinkle performances. According to results of quantitative analysis of compounds isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, scopolin (AI-1) is a major component of Artemisia iwayomogi. Moreover, O/W type cream made by water fraction which included scopolin showed unwrinkling effect for 8 weeks when it was applied to face in an in vivo study. Specific contributions of Artemisia iwayomogi were as follows: AI-1, 1.21 mg/g; AI-2, 0.26 mg/g; AI-3, 0.38 mg/g; AI-4, 0.01 mg/g; and AI-5, 0.04 mg/g.

Neuroinflammation causes various neurological disorders, including depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, regulation of neuroinflammation is a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammation-related neurological disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether yomogin, isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, has anti-neuroinflammatory effects. First, we evaluated the effects of yomogin by assessing pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. The results showed that yomogin inhibited the increase in neuroinflammatory factors, including nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and suppressed phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38, which participate in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. To confirm these effects in vivo, we measured the activation of astrocyte and microglia in LPS-injected mouse brains. Results showed that yomogin treatment decreased astrocyte and microglia activations. Collectively, these results suggest that yomogin suppresses neuroinflammation by regulating the MAPK pathway and it could be a potential candidate for inflammation-mediated neurological diseases.

Neuroinflammation, predominantly mediated by microglial activation, is a key immunological response in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. In our preliminary study, the aerial part of Artemisia iwayomogi inhibits LPS-induced microglial activation. The present study aims to identify chemical constituents with anti-neuroinflammatory properties in the aerial parts of A. iwayomogi. Two new guaianolide sesquiterpenes, iwayomogins A and B (1 and 2), along with thirteen known sesquiterpene lactones (3–15), one diterpene glycoside (16), and nine phenolic compounds (17–25) were isolated from the aerial parts of A. iwayomogi by repeated chromatography. The structures of the isolates were elucidated by their spectroscopic data. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells. 2,3-Dehydro-1-epi-asperilin (11) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on NO production (IC50 value of 1.78 μM). In the molecular docking study, three compounds (1, 2, and 11) showed good binding affinities with iNOS. Additionally, compounds 1, 2, and 11 inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) in dose-dependent manners. The present study demonstrates that the chemical constituents from A. iwayomogi inhibit NO production and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in BV-2 cells. However, further evaluation with biological experiments utilizing in vivo models is necessary.

In Korean folk medicine, Artemisia iwayomogi has largely been employed for the improvement of diabetic complications and hepatic function as well as in the treatment of female diseases and skin whitening. Accordingly, the present study sought to assess cosmeceutical activity of Artemisia iwayomogi. Through activity-guided fractionation, scopolin (AI-1), 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-acetophenone 4-O-β-D-glucoside (AI-2), scopoletin (AI-3), kaempferol-3-O-methyl ether (AI-4) and luteolin (AI-5) were isolated from ethyl acetate and water fractions of Artemisia iwayomogi. Of them, AI-4 and AI-5 exhibited strong antioxidative and whitening effects. In addition, AI-1, AI-3, AI-4, and AI-5 demonstrated considerable anti-wrinkle performances. According to results of quantitative analysis of compounds isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, scopolin (AI-1) is a major component of Artemisia iwayomogi. Moreover, O/W type cream made by water fraction which included scopolin showed unwrinkling effect for 8 weeks when it was applied to face in an in vivo study. Specific contributions of Artemisia iwayomogi were as follows: AI-1, 1.21 mg/g; AI-2, 0.26 mg/g; AI-3, 0.38 mg/g; AI-4, 0.01 mg/g; and AI-5, 0.04 mg/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the protective effect of Artemisia iwayomogi extract (AI) against hypertriglyceridemia induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice and to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. C57BL/6N mice were fed chow, HFD, HFD + 0.1% AI, HFD + 0.25% AI, or HFD + 0.5% AI for 10 weeks. The addition of 0.25% and 0.5% AI resulted in dose-dependent improvements in the major parameters of hypertriglyceridemia, including plasma triglyceride, free fatty acids, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein lipase, with parallel reductions in body weight gain, hepatic lipid accumulation, and insulin resistance. These beneficial effects were accompanied by the activation of adiponectin-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mediated signaling cascades in the liver, which downregulated molecules involved in lipogenesis and concurrently upregulated molecules related to fatty acid oxidation. The downregulation of molecules involved in very low density lipoprotein assembly, which was associated with improved hepatic insulin signaling, also appeared to contribute to the AI-induced attenuation of hypertriglyceridemia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance The medicinal plants Artemisia iwayomogi and Curcuma longa radix are both used to treat hyperlipidemia in traditional Korean and Chinese medicine. Aim of the study To evaluate the anti-hyperlipidemic effects of the 30% ethanol extracts of A. iwayomogi (AI), C. longa (CL), and the mixture of A. iwayomogi and C. longa (ACE), using a high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia model. Materials and methods Six of seven groups of C57BL/6N male mice (i.e., not including the naïve group) were fed a high-fat diet freely for 10 weeks. Of these six groups, five (i.e., not including the control group) were administered a high-fat diet supplemented with AI (100 mg/kg), CL (100 mg/kg), ACE (50 or 100 mg/kg), or Lipitor (20 mg/kg). Serum lipid profiles, obesity-related markers, hepatic steatosis, hepatic gene expression, and oxidative stress markers were analyzed. Results AI, CL, and ACE were associated with significant effects on serum lipid profiles (total cholesterol [TC] and triglyceride), body, liver and peritoneal adipose tissue weights, hepatic lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress biomarkers. ACE at 100 mg/kg was associated with significantly greater improvements in serum TC and triglyceride, hepatic triglyceride, epididymal adipocyte size, and oxidative stress biomarkers, compared with AI and CL. AI, CL and ACE normalized lipid synthesis-associated gene expression (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha). Conclusion ACE exhibits anti-hyperlipidemia properties and is associated with partially synergistic effects compared with AI or CL alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation causes various neurological disorders, including depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, regulation of neuroinflammation is a promising therapeutic strategy for inflammation-related neurological disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether yomogin, isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, has anti-neuroinflammatory effects. First, we evaluated the effects of yomogin by assessing pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. The results showed that yomogin inhibited the increase in neuroinflammatory factors, including nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and suppressed phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38, which participate in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. To confirm these effects in vivo, we measured the activation of astrocyte and microglia in LPS-injected mouse brains. Results showed that yomogin treatment decreased astrocyte and microglia activations. Collectively, these results suggest that yomogin suppresses neuroinflammation by regulating the MAPK pathway and it could be a potential candidate for inflammation-mediated neurological diseases.

The acaricidal properties of 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi and its structural analogues were evaluated against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus, and their effects were compared with that of the commercial acaricide benzyl benzoate. Based on the 50 % lethal dose (LD) values against D. farinae, 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one (0.82 μg/cm) was 9.71 times more effective than benzyl benzoate (7.96 μg/cm), followed by (1R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one (1.03 μg/cm), (1S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one (1.58 μg/cm), and (1R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one oxime (3.05 μg/cm) in a filter paper bioassay. The acaricidal activities of 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one and its structural analogues against D. pteronyssinus were similar to those against D. farinae. These results demonstrate that naturally occurring A. iwayomogi-isolated 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one and its structural analogues are suitable for the production of natural acaricides against house dust mites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new phenolic compounds, ( Z)-5′-hydroxyjasmone 5′- O-{6″- O-[( E)-caffeoyl]- β- D-glucopyranoside} ( 1) and quercetin-7- O- β- D-glucuronide methyl ester ( 2), along with ten known phenolic compounds, 3- 12, were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia iwayomogi. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, and HR-ESI-TOF-MS techniques. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1- 12 on the LPS-stimulated production of IL-12 p40, IL-6, and TNF- α in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi are well-known herbal medicines which are used as hepatotherapeutic drugs. These two herbal species can be confused with each other, owing to their morphological similarity and similar Korean common names of "Injinho" and "Haninjin," respectively. Molecular markers to distinguish between the two plants were developed. Six primer sets were designed and verified, and their efficiencies were found to range from 90.28 to 98.29%. The developed primer sets had significant correlation coefficient values between the cycle threshold values and the logarithm of DNA concentration for their target species (R 2  > 0.98), with slopes ranged from - 3.3637 to - 3.5793. The specificity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was confirmed with 14 other species. Additionally, 16 commercial medicinal herbs and 40 blind samples were tested to evaluate their reliability. Collectively, the findings indicate that developed qPCR-based target-specific primer sets have potential applicability toward protection of consumers' rights., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01166-0., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi, both members of the Compositae family, have been indiscriminately used for various liver disorders as traditional hepatotherapeutic medicines in Korea for many years. Aim of the study: In this study, the anti-hepatofibrotic effects of Artemisia capillaris and Artemisia iwayomogi were comparatively analyzed using a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis rat model. Materials and methods: Hepatic fibrosis was induced via a 10-week course of intraperitoneal CCl4 injections (50% dissolved in olive oil, 2mL/kg, twice per week). Water extract of Artemisia capillaris (AC) or Artemisia iwayomogi (AI) was orally administered six times per week from the 5th to the 10th week. Results: AI (50mg/kg) significantly attenuated the CCl4-induced excessive release of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in serum (p <0.05), and hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver tissue (p <0.05). Further, AI markedly ameliorated the depletion of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissue (p <0.01). Unexpectedly, AC did not exert any effects on the above parameters. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that AI drastically reduced inflammation, necrosis, fatty infiltration, collagen accumulation, and activation of hepatic satellite cells in liver tissue. These changes were not observed with AC treatment. Several critical genes of fibrosis-related cytokines including transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor beta (PDGF-β), and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were more prominently downregulated by AI compared to AC treatment. Conclusion: Our results show that AI exerts greater hepatoprotective and anti-fibrotic effects as compared with AC via enhancing antioxidant capacity and downregulating fibrogentic cytokines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The leaves and stems of Asteraceae Artemisia iwayomogi ( Ai) for a long time have been known to inhibit inflammatory cytokine production and allergic reactions, and have been used to treat liver diseases. It needs to be elucidated in terms of global gene expression whether Ai has an influence as an anti-inflammatory agent on the cultured human gingival fibroblast stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This study investigated the anti-inflammatory changes of the genes by Ai using the Affymetrix genechip human gene 1.0 ST array when the cultured human gingival fibroblast was treated with LPS. It was observed that the inflammation- and immune response-related genes were activated by LPS challenge in the cultured human gingival fibroblast. The array analysis showed that 65 of the 344 genes up-regulated by LPS stimulation, when compared to the control, were down-regulated by the Ai treatment. A number of inflammation- and immune response-related genes of the 65 genes were found. In addition, 78 of the 164 genes down-regulated by the LPS, when compared to the control, were up-regulated by the Ai treatment. The regulatory patterns of the representative genes were correlated with the real-time RT-PCR analysis. The Ai extract and its specific components, scopolin and scopoletin, significantly hindered the production of inflammatory mediators such as IL-6, TNF-α and nitrite in the LPS-challenged fibroblast. This study suggests that Ai can comprehensively inhibit the activation of the inflammation- and immune response-related genes and the inflammatory mediators in the human gingival fibroblast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibacterial activities of vulgarone B, a component of Artemisia iwayomogi essential oil, were evaluated against some antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant human pathogens. Moreover, the effects of combining antibiotics, such as oxacillin, with vulgarone B were determined in this study. Significant inhibitory activities of Artemisia oils against antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant bacteria were confirmed by broth microdilution methods. The effects of vulgarone B on bacterial morphology and DNA were observed by scanning electron microscope and electrophoresis, respectively. In checkerboard microtiter tests, vulgarone B and A. iwayomogi oil combined with oxacillin resulted in synergism, or additive effects. Moreover, the safety of Artemisia oil and vulgarone B were confirmed in vivo. Both vulgarone B and the essential oil fraction of A. iwayomogi showed significant inhibitory activities against strains of antibioticsusceptible and -resistant bacteria. The oils showed synergism or additive effects when combined with oxacillin against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The antibiotic mechanism involved might be related to DNA cleavage. Thus, vulgarone B and the essential oil fraction of A. iwayomogi may be promising candidates for a safe, effective, natural agent active against antibiotic-resistant S. aureus, especially when combined with oxacillin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim of the study: Artemisia iwayomogi is a perennial small herbal plant that has long been used as a chemopreventive agent in traditional Korean medicine. Previously, the purified essential oil was isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi, herein named AIEO, and found to contain the active components responsible for the chemopreventive potential of the herb. Materials and methods: This study examined whether or not AIEO has potential chemopreventative effects against cancer using the human oral epidermoid carcinoma cell line, KB cells. The possible mechanism of AIEO-induced apoptosis was also examined. Results: The results showed that AIEO induces the apoptotic death of KB cells, which is mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In addition, AIEO not only induced an imbalance between the mitochondrial Bcl-2 and Bax levels with the concomitant release of Cytochrome c into the cytosol but also induced the activation of caspases and the cleavage of PARP. This induction was significantly suppressed by MAPK inhibitors. Moreover, pretreating the cells with each of the caspase or MAPK-specific inhibitors apparently inhibited AIEO-induced cytotoxicity of KB cells. Conclusions: These results strongly suggest that AIEO might have cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential, which is closely related to its ability to activate the MAPK-mediated signaling pathways with the subsequent induction of a mitochondria- and caspase-dependent mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APC) particularly important in the initiation of primary T cell-mediated immune responses. Thus, inhibition of the differentiation and function of DC could lead to the suppression of immunological hyperresponsiveness. Artemisia iwayomogi, a member of the Compositae, is a perennial herb easily found in Korea and has been used as a traditional anti-inflammatory medicine. We investigated suppressive effects of carbohydrate fraction 1 from the water extracts of A. iwayomogi (AIP1) on the differentiation and function of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Bone marrow cells were cultured in the presence of granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4 for 6–7 days. Then, non-adherent cells were harvested for subsequent analyses. Percentage(s) of CD11c+ MHC II+ cell population(s) mostly composed of immature or mature DC and the allogeneic T cell stimulating ability of the cells were reduced by AIP1. Proteomic analyses along with RT-PCR revealed that expressions of several proteins including TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) 5-like protein, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and coactosin-like protein 1 (CLP1) were down-regulated upon AIP1 treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by reversible airway obstruction, airway hyperreactivity, and remodeling of the airways. The incidence of asthma is on the rise despite ongoing intensive asthma research. Artemisia iwayomogi, a member of the Compositae, is a perennial herb easily found around Korea and has been used as a traditional anti-inflammatory medicine in liver diseases. We investigated suppressive effects of AIP1, a water-soluble carbohydrate fraction from A. iwayomogi on ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma in BALB/c mice and studied the possible mechanisms of its anti-allergic action. AIP1 significantly reduced pulmonary eosinophilia and Th2 cytokine expression in the lungs as well as serum IgE levels. Flow cytometric analysis of lung-infiltrating cells showed that the surface levels of CD11c and MHC II in CD11c+MHC II+ cells, potent dendritic cells, decreased in animals treated with AIP1. Expression of TNF-α, one of several proinflammatory cytokines released into the airway during episodes of asthma, was down-regulated by AIP1 injection, suggesting that reduced expression of TNF-α could account for the suppression of pulmonary eosinophilia and Th2-type cytokine production by AIP1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The immediate-type allergic reaction is involved in many allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. The discovery of drugs for the treatment of immediate-type allergic diseases is a very important subject in human health. In this study, we investigated the effect of Artemisia iwayomogi (AIAE) on mast cell-mediated allergic reaction and inflammatory cytokine secretion. AIAE inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic reactions in mice. AIAE decreased the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction activated by antidinitrophenyl (anti-DNP) IgE antibody. AIAE dose-dependently reduced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells activated by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. Furthermore, AIAE attenuated the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187-stimulated tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 secretion in human mast cells. These results provide evidence that AIAE may be beneficial in the treatment of allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of methanol extract from Hericium erinaceus cultivated with Artemisia iwayomogi (HEAI) on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and CCl4-induced hepatic damage were evaluated. HEAI was shown to have a potent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Interestingly, a methanol extract of Hericium erinaceus showed no inhibitory effect on the proliferation of VSMCs, while a methanol extract of Artemisia iwayomogi possessed strong inhibitory effects on the proliferation of VSMCs. Therefore, the inhibitory effects of HEAI may be caused by the changes of chemical components in the culture broth after the addition of Artemisia iwayomogi in the HEAI growth media. HEAI also had a strong protective effect on CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats. The activity was evaluated using biochemical parameters such as glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). HEAI treatment caused a significant reduction in the activity of GOT but not of GPT and ALP in comparison with CCl4 treatment alone. Histopathological studies showed that liver samples treated with HEAI were significantly different when compared to non-treated animals after CCl4 exposure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important bioactive agent that mediates a wide variety of physiological and pathophysiological events. NO overproduction by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) results in severe hypotension and inflammation. This investigation is part of a study to dis-cover new iNOS inhibitors from medicinal plants using a macrophage cell culture system. Two sesquiterpenes (1 and 2) were isolated from Artemisia iwayomogi (Compositae) and were found to inhibit NO synthesis (IC50 3.64 μg/mL and 2.81 ng/mL, respectively) in lipopolysac-charide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. Their structures were identified as 3-O-methyl-iso-secotanapartholide (1) and iso-secotanapartholide (2). Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited the LPS-induced expression of the iNOS enzyme in the RAW 264.7 cells. The inhibition of NO produc-tion via the down regulation of iNOS expression may substantially modulate the inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polysaccharide fraction, AIP1, purified from Artemisia iwayomogi was shown to have immu-nomodulating and anti-tumor activities in mice. In order to determine how the AIP1 fraction exhibits the immunomodulating activity, the effect of the fraction on the apoptosis of mouse spleen cells was investigated. Treatment of the mouse spleen cells with the AIP1 fraction resulted in the suppression of apoptotic death and an extension of cell survival in culture, indicating that the fraction might modulate the death of spleen cells. Treatment of the mice with the AIP1 fraction in vivo also resulted in less apoptosis of the spleen cells, which indicates the physiological relevance of the anti-apoptosis effect of the fraction in vitro. A mouse gene array was used to determine the profile of the gene expression change showing a pattern of up-and down-regulated genes by the AIP1 treatment. This study provides preliminary information regarding the immunomodulatory mechanism of the AIP1 fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antioxidant activity of Artemisia iwayomogi was determined by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical The methanol extract of A. iwayomogi showed strong antioxidant activity, and thus fractionated with several solvents. The antioxidant activity potential of the individual fraction was in the order of ethyl acetate> n-butanol>water>chloroform> n-hexane fraction. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol soluble fractions exhibiting strong antioxidant activity were further purified by repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Antioxidant chlorogenic acid was isolated as one of the active principles from the n-butanol fraction, together with the inactive components, 1-octacosanol, scopoletin, scopolin, apigenin 7,4′-di- O-methylether luteolin 6,3′-di- O-methylether (jaceosidin), apigenin 7-methylether (genkwanin), 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone 4- O-β-D-glucopyranoside and quebrachitol. The antioxidant activity of chlorogenic acid was comparable to that of L-ascorbic acid, which is a well known antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of the polysaccharide fractions purified from Artemisia selengensis and Artemisia iwayomogi on the immune system was studied. The polysaccharide fractions, respectively called ASP1 and AIP1, may interact with macrophages and lymphocytes in spleen, increasing the population of those cell types in vivo and in vitro. Both ASP1 and AIP1 fractions also suppress transplanted tumor cell growth and augment antibody production. This study suggests that ASP1 and AIP1 fractions may have immunomodulating and antitumor activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuroinflammation plays a major role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The regulation of microglia is an efficient therapeutic approach to controlling neuroinflammation.Purpose: In this study, we aimed to determine whether Artemisiae Iwayomogii Herba (AIH), which is herbal medicine traditionally used for inflammation-related disorders, controls neuroinflammatory responses by regulating the microglia-mediated signaling pathway.Methods: BV-2 microglial cells were treated with AIH and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), then various pro-inflammatory mediators were analyzed using griess reaction, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, or western blotting. C57BL/6 J mice were orally administered by AIH for 17 days and intraperitoneally injected with LPS for the last 14 days. The brains were collected and the microglial activation and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-, leucine-rich repeat-, and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) expression in the cortex and hippocampus were analyzed using immunohistochemistry or western blotting.Results: In BV-2 microglial cells, we found that AIH inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production induced by LPS. AIH also suppressed the expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators, including inducible NO synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. The study also revealed that the effects of AIH are related to the regulation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Additionally, we found that AIH prevented the formation of NLRP3 inflammasomes. Consistent with the results of in vitro studies on the brains of LPS-injected mice, we observed that AIH suppressed microglial activation and NLRP3 expression.Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that AIH attenuates neuroinflammation by regulating the NF-κB and MAPK pathways, and it may be used for treating neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese/Korean medicine suggests " blood stasis (瘀血)", " stagnation of vital energy (气滯)" and " dampness and Phlegm (湿痰)" as the main etiologies of liver disorders, and multiherbal formulas are generally believed to exert synergistic action. The present study aimed to investigate the synergistic hepatoprotective effects of CGplus (a mixture of Salviae miltiorrhiza , Artemisia iwayomogi and Ammomum xanthioides) compared to those of the individual herbs. A total of fifty-six male Balb/C mice were randomly divided into eight groups and were administered water (normal and CCl 4 groups), 100 mg/kg S. miltiorrhiza , A. iwayomogi , or A. xanthioides , 50 or 100 mg/kg CGPlus or dimethyl dimethoxybiphenyl dicarboxylate (DDB) as a positive control for 4 consecutive days. After a single CCl 4 injection (i.p., 10 mL/kg of 0.2% CCl 4 in olive oil), blood and liver tissues were collected after 18 h of fasting for serum biochemistry, histopathological examination and molecular analyses. CCl 4 injection induced drastic hepatic injury characterized by a more than 30-fold increase in the release of AST and ALT into the serum. These alterations were significantly attenuated by pretreatment with each of the three herbs, while the effects of the individual herbs were synergistically augmented by CGPlus pretreatment. The synergistic hepatoprotective actions of CGPlus were demonstrated consistently by analyses of oxidative stress (oxidative stressors, oxidation products and antioxidant enzymes), pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-ɑ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10), and apoptosis (caspase-3, p53 and BAX) and histopathology. These data suggest that CGPlus exerts its hepatoprotective effects in a synergistic manner, and further studies are required for clinical application using other chronic models. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]