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. 2020 Dec 10;12(12):3787.
doi: 10.3390/nu12123787.

Dietary Cameroonian Plants Exhibit Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Human Gastric Epithelial Cells

Achille Parfait Atchan Nwakiban  1   2 , Marco Fumagalli  2 , Stefano Piazza  2 , Andrea Magnavacca  2 , Giulia Martinelli  2 , Giangiacomo Beretta  3 , Paolo Magni  2   4 , Armelle Deutou Tchamgoue  5 , Gabriel Agbor Agbor  5 , Jules-Roger Kuiaté  1 , Mario Dell'Agli  2 , Enrico Sangiovanni  2
Affiliations

Dietary Cameroonian Plants Exhibit Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Human Gastric Epithelial Cells

Achille Parfait Atchan Nwakiban et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

In Cameroon, local plants are traditionally used as remedies for a variety of ailments. In this regard, several papers report health benefits of Cameroonian spices, which include antioxidant and anti-microbial properties, whereas gastric anti-inflammatory activities have never been previously considered. The present study investigates the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of hydro-alcoholic extracts of eleven Cameroonian spices in gastric epithelial cells (AGS and GES-1 cells). The extracts showed antioxidant properties in a cell-free system and reduced H2O2-induced ROS generation in gastric epithelial cells. After preliminary screening on TNFα-induced NF-κB driven transcription, six extracts from Xylopia parviflora, Xylopia aethiopica, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Dichrostachys glomerata, Aframomum melegueta, and Aframomum citratum were selected for further studies focusing on the anti-inflammatory activity. The extracts reduced the expression of some NF-κB-dependent pro-inflammatory mediators strictly involved in the gastric inflammatory process, such as IL-8, IL-6, and enzymes such as PTGS2 (COX-2), without affecting PTGS1 (COX-1). In conclusion, the selected extracts decreased pro-inflammatory markers by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling in gastric cells, justifying, in part, the traditional use of these spices. Other molecular mechanisms cannot be excluded, and further studies are needed to better clarify their biological activities at the gastric level.

Keywords: COX-2; Cameroonian plants; NF-κB; antioxidant; ethnopharmacology; gastric inflammation; interleukin 6; interleukin 8.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antioxidant activity of the extracts. Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay (A). Data are expressed as ORAC value (µmol Trolox Equivalent/g of sample). Effect of the extracts on intracellular ROS production induced by hydrogen peroxide in human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) (B) and gastric epithelial (GES-1) (C) cells. Antioxidant activity is expressed as μmol Trolox equivalent. Data reported in panels B and C are expressed as percentage versus the stimulated control (grey bar), to which is arbitrarily assigned the value 100%. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of the extracts (10 μg/mL) on the NF-κB-driven transcription in human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) (A) and gastric epithelial (GES-1) (B) cells. Data are expressed as percentage versus the stimulated control, which is arbitrarily assigned the value 100% (grey bar). * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of the extracts on IL-8 mRNA levels in human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) (A) and gastric epithelial (GES-1) (B) cells. Data are expressed as fold changes versus stimulated control (grey bar). * p < 0.05; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of the extracts on IL-6 mRNA levels in gastric epithelial (GES-1) cells. Results are expressed as fold changes versus stimulated control (grey bar). * p < 0.05; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of the extracts on prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 PTGS2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 1 PTGS1 (COX-1) mRNA levels in the presence (A,B) or in the absence (C,D) of TNFα, in gastric epithelial (GES-1) cells. Data are expressed as fold changes versus control (grey bar). * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
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