Table 2.
Nitric oxide (NO) production (% and IC50 values, µg/mL) relative to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages incubated with non-toxic concentrations of extracts of A. macrostachyum, P. coronopus, H. portulacoides, J. acutus and M. edule.
| Species/Compound | Extract | 3.9 µg/mL | 7.8 µg/mL | 15.6 µg/mL | 31.2 µg/mL | 62.5 µg/mL | 125 µg/mL | IC50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. macrostachyum | Water | 118 ± 3 *** | 117 ± 6 | 99 ± 4 | 103 ± 3 | 87 ± 4 | 77 ± 3 ** | n.d. |
| P. coronopus | Hexane | - | - | - | - | 56 ± 6 *** | 47 ± 3 *** | 98 ± 4.0 |
| Chloroform | 102 ± 5 | 97 ± 7 | 93 ± 8 | 90 ± 11 | - | - | n.d | |
| Methanol | - | - | - | 96 ± 3 | 97 ± 2 | 79 ± 3 *** | n.d | |
| Water | 112 ± 1 | 111 ± 2 | 110 ± 1 | 111 ± 2 | 103 ± 3 | 98 ± 3 | n.d | |
| H. portulacoides | Chloroform | - | - | - | 83 ± 3 | 73 ± 3 ** | 43 ± 1 *** | 109 ± 2.5 |
| J. acutus | Hexane | 102 ± 3 | - | - | - | - | - | n.d |
| Chloroform | 103 ± 7 | - | - | - | - | - | n.d | |
| M. edule | Methanol | 112 ± 4 | 114 ± 5 | 103 ± 3 | 115 ± 6 | 89 ± 5 | 111 ± 3 | n.d |
| Ether | 106 ± 3 | 104 ± 2 | 96 ± 2 | - | - | - | n.d | |
| Chloroform | 103 ± 2 | 89 ± 4 | 83 ± 6.6 | - | - | - | n.d | |
| Water | 144 ± 2 *** | 128 ± 6 ** | 169 ± 6 *** | 137 ± 7 *** | 137 ± 6 *** | 98 ± 6 | n.d | |
| L-NAME * | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 29 ± 2.1 |
Values represent the mean ± SEM of at least three experiments performed in triplicate (n = 9). Statistical significance in NO production between cells containing DMSO (0.5%, v/v) diluted in culture medium and those treated with halophyte extracts are indicated as follows: * p < 0.01, ** p < 0.001; *** p < 0.0001; -, not tested; n.d, not determined; l-NAME: NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester: positive control. The IC50 values were calculated as described on the materials and methods section, from a minimum of five concentrations.