Table 2.
Screening of Chinese herbal medicines for agonistic activity towards PPARα and PPARγ and inhibition of TNF-α-induced NF-κB activity in vitro. PE = petroleum ether, EtOAc = ethyl acetate, MeOH = methanol. Dry material from all test samples was dissolved in DMSO at a concentration of 10 mg/mL and tested at a final concentration of 10 μg/mL. Regarding PPARs: no activation compared to control (0.1% DMSO): −; 1.5- to 2-fold activity compared to control (P < 0.05): +; more than 2-fold of the control (P < 0.05): ++. Regarding NF-κB: inhibition in the range of 0–50% compared to the vehicle-treated control (0.1% DMSO): −; 50–80% inhibition (P < 0.05): +; over 80% inhibition (P < 0.05): ++. At least three independent experiments were performed with every sample, and statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA.
| Plant species | CHM no. | Extract | PPARα | PPARγ | NF-κB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| activation | activation | inhibition | |||
| Albizia julibrissin Durazz. | 1a | PE | ++ | ++ | + |
| EtOAc | ++ | ++ | + | ||
| MeOH | + | + | + | ||
| H2O | − | − | + | ||
| 1b | PE | + | + | − | |
| EtOAc | ++ | ++ | + | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | ++ | ||
|
| |||||
| Arisaema sp. | 2a | PE | ++ | + | + |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Arnebia/Lithospermum sp. | 3 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. | 4 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. | 5 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | ++ | + | + | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Dimocarpus (Euphoria) longan Lour. | 6 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. | 7 | PE | − | − | + |
| EtOAc | − | − | ++ | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Juncus effusus L. | 8 | EtOAc | − | − | ++ |
| MeOH | − | − | + | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Lilium sp. | 9 | EtOAc | + | − | − |
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Lophatherum gracile Brongn. | 10 | PE | + | − | − |
| EtOAc | + | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. | 11 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. | 12b | PE | ++ | + | + |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. | 13 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | − | − | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||
|
| |||||
| Tribulus terrestris L. | 14 | PE | − | − | − |
| EtOAc | + | + | − | ||
| MeOH | − | − | − | ||
| H2O | − | − | − | ||