Browsing by Author "Pohjankoski, Tiina"

Amomum villosum Lour. (Zingiberaceae) has been a fundamental component of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, primarily employed in managing gastrointestinal disorders. The commonly utilized component of the plant is the dried and mature fruit known as Amomi fructus, which has been shown to contain multiple active chemical components including volatile oils, polysaccharides and polyphenols. Despite extensive research into the medicinal properties of A. villosum, which encompasses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumoral, hypolipidemic and hypoglycaemic effects, much of the focus has been on local inflammatory disease models such as inflammatory bowel disease. However, investigations into its potential efficacy in systemic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis are notably lacking. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the synovial joints, leading to joint damage and disability. The effects of novel water and methanol extracts of A. villosum was studied on murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). RAW 264.7 cells are widely used as a model for studying inflammation and immune responses, while HDF cells exhibit relevance to RA through their similarities to synovial fibroblasts and involvement in inflammatory processes, angiogenesis and tissue remodelling. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of vanillic acid in our extracts, a potent antioxidant with potential therapeutic applications in various inflammatory conditions. Vanillic acid served as a baseline for subsequent in vitro experiments with our extracts. Results from the PrestoBlue cell viability assay demonstrated that water and methanol extracts from A. villosum enhanced HDF cell proliferation. Furthermore, both extracts exhibited antioxidant effects against hydrogen peroxide stimulation in both cell lines. Additionally, the water extract from A. villosum, inhibited the secretion of interleukin-6 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Vanillic acid provided similar results. These findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of A. villosum may offer a novel therapeutic approach for chronic inflammatory diseases.