Study of Mechanisms Involved in Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Chinese Propolis

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Table 1: Concentrations of flavonoids presented in EECP.

Compounds Retention Time (min) mg/g of extracta Rutin 4.13 18.8 ± 0.1 Myricetin 5.61 15.4 ± 0.2 Quercetin 8.16 19.7 ± 0.3 Kaempferol 13.94 3.7 ± 0.1 Apigenin 15.41 3.5 ± 0.1 Pinocembrin 26.57 84.6 ± 0.2 Chrysin 35.20 33.5 ± 0.1 Galangin 42.57 29.1 ± 0.2

aReported values are the means ± SD (). EECP, ethanol extracts of Chinese propolis.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the in vitro Anti-InflammatoryEffects of a Flavonoid-Rich Ethanol Extract from Chinese Propolis (Poplar Type)
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:127672China produces the greatest amount of propolis but there isstill lack of basic studies on its pharmacological mechanisms. Our previousstudy found that ethanol extract from Chinese propolis (EECP) exerted excellentanti-inflammatory effects in vivo but mechanisms of action were elusive. To further clarify the possible mechanisms underlying theanti-inflammatory effects of Chinese propolis (poplar type), we utilized EECPto analyze its chemical composition and evaluated its potentialanti-inflammatory effects in vitro. High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) profile indicated that EECP contained abundant flavonoids, includingrutin, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, pinocembrin, chrysin, andgalangin. Next we found that EECP could significantly inhibit the production ofNO, IL-1β, and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW 264.7 cellsand suppress mRNA expression of iNOS, IL-1β, and IL-6 in a time- anddose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that EECP could suppress thephosphorylation of IκBα and AP-1 but did not affect IκBα's degradation. In addition,using a reporter assay, we found that EECP could block the activation of NF-κBin TNF-α-stimulated HEK 293T cells. Our findings give new insights for understanding themechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory effects by Chinese propolis andprovide additional references for using propolis in alternative andcomplementary therapies.