Luteolin as an Anti-inflammatory and Anti-allergic Constituent of Perilla frutescens

• Published in: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin Vol. 25; no. 9; pp. 1197 - 1202
• Main Authors: Ueda, Hiroshi, Yamazaki, Chikako, Yamazaki, Masatoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01.09.2002; Maruzen; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Allergic Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Allergic Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Allergic Agents - therapeutic use; anti-allergy; anti-inflammation; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - isolation & purification; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - isolation & purification; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Edema - drug therapy; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; General pharmacology; Luteolin; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Perilla frutescens; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy - methods; Plant Leaves; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; tumor necrosis factor-α; Asia; China; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Antiinflammatory agent; Oral administration; Plant leaf; Inflammation; In vitro; Biological activity; Antiallergic; Medicinal plant; In vivo; Vertebrata; Chinese medicine; Mammalia; Folk medicine; Mouse; Animal; Plant origin; Isolation; Active ingredient; Luteolin; Mechanism of action; Tumor necrosis factor α
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.25.1197

Oral administration of the perilla leaf extract (PLE) to mice inhibits inflammation, allergic response, and tumor necrosis factor-α production. We also found that PLE suppressed the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production in vitro. Using the inhibitory activity of TNF-α production in vitro as the index for isolation, we searched the active constituents from PLE and isolated luteolin, rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid as active components. Among the isolated compounds, only luteolin showed in vivo activity: inhibition of serum tumor necrosis factor-α production, inhibition of arachidonic acid-induced ear edema, inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ear edema and inhibition of oxazolone-induced allergic edema. These results suggest that luteolin is a genuinely active constituent which is accountable for the oral effects of perilla.