Phenolic Compounds of Chromolaena Odorata Protect Cultured Skin Cells from Oxidative Damage: Implication for Cutaneous Wound Healing
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December 2001 Biol. Pharm. Bull. 24(12) 1373—1379 (2001) 1373 Phenolic Compounds of Chromolaena odorata Protect Cultured Skin Cells from Oxidative Damage: Implication for Cutaneous Wound Healing ,a b a c b Toan-Thang PHAN,* Lingzhi WANG, Patrick SEE, Renee Jacqueline GRAYER, Sui-Yung CHAN, and a Seng Teik LEE Department of Plastic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital a and Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore,b Republic of Singapore, and Jodrell Laboratory,c Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3DS, United Kingdom. Received June 25, 2001; accepted September 11, 2001 Extracts from the leaves of Chromolaena odorata have been shown to be beneficial for treatment of wounds. The crude ethanol extract of the plant had been demonstrated to be a powerful antioxidant to protect fibroblasts and keratinocytes in vitro. In this study, the most active compounds were fractionated and identified from the crude extract using liquid chromatography coupled with UV spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The antioxi- dant effects of purified fractions on cultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes were investigated using colorimetric and lactate hydrogenase release assay. The results showed that the phenolic acids present (protocatechuic, p-hy- droxybenzoic, p-coumaric, ferulic and vanillic acids) and complex mixtures of lipophilic flavonoid aglycones (fla- vanones, flavonols, flavones and chalcones) were major and powerful antioxidants to protect cultured skin cells against oxidative damage. In conclusion, the extract from C. odorata contains a mixture of powerful antioxidant compounds that may be one of potential mechanism contributing to enhanced wound healing. Key words Chromolaena odorata extract; oxidative damage; antioxidant; wound healing Chromolaena odorata (L.) R. KING & H. ROBINSON (for- The antioxidant effects of the extract have previously been merly Eupatorium odoratum L.), a perennial belonging to the investigated. It was found that within the range of 50 to plant family Asteraceae (5Compositae), is a diffuse, scram- 800 mg/ml the extract showed significant protection on cul- bling shrub that is mainly a weed of plantation crops and pas- tured fibroblasts and keratinocytes against hydrogen peroxide tures of southern Asia and western Africa. It forms a bush and superoxide radicals damage.11) 3—7 m in height when growing in the open. Native to Mex- Several classes of flavonoids have been isolated from C. ico, the West Indies, and tropical South America, it was odorata extracts.13—16) Three flavanones and one flavone spread widely by early navigators. It is a weed of 13 crops in were isolated and proved to be responsible for blood coagula- 23 countries.1) Traditionally, fresh leaves or a decoction of C. tion.7) The extract also contains high concentrations of amino odorata have been used throughout Vietnam for many years acids.12) as well as in other tropical countries for the treatment of Oxidants are now considered to be involved in a number of leech bite, soft tissue wounds, burn wounds, skin infection aspects of burn injury and tissue repair. Oxygen free radicals and dento-alveolitis.2) A number of studies demonstrated that contribute to further tissue damage in the events following the extract of the leaves of C. odorata inhibited the growth of skin injury and are known to impair healing process. Antiox- bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphy- idants, on the other hand, significantly prevent tissue damage lococcus aureus and Neisseria gonorrhoea).2—6) Enhance- and stimulate wound healing. The extract from C. odorata ment of hemostasis and blood coagulation with use of C. was scientifically demonstrated to have a strong anti-oxidant odorata extract has also been reported.3,7) A clinical trial of effect.11) In this study, we fractionated and identified the most C. odorata extract was conducted in the National Institute of active antioxidant components to get an insight into the Burns in Hanoi, Vietnam between 1987 and 1991 on 136 pa- mechanism of how the extract can be beneficial to wound tients with full thickness wounds and an average wound size healing. of 79.9 cm2. The stimulatory effects of C. odorata extract on the formation of granulation tissue and wound re-epithelial- MATERIALS AND METHODS ization were demonstrated clinically and histologically.2) In previous in vitro studies we have shown that C. odorata ex- Media and Chemicals Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s tract inhibits the contraction of collagen lattices by normal medium (DMEM), fetal calf serum (FCS), Hanks’ balanced human dermal fibroblasts—an in vitro model of wound con- salt solution (HBSS), streptomycin, penicillin, gentamycin, traction8) and enhances fibroblasts and endothelial cell prolif- fungizone were from Gibco. Hydrogen peroxide, catalase, eration.9) Human epidermal keratinocyte proliferation is hypoxanthine, xanthine oxidase, MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthia- stimulated by low concentrations (from 0.1 to 5 mg/ml) of the zol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide], sodium dodecyl extract and cell differentiation at higher concentrations (from sulfate (SDS), and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), phos- 50 to 300 mg/ml). In an in vitro model of re-epithelializa- phate buffered saline without Ca & Mg (PBS), epidermal tion–scratch technique, keratinocyte migration is enhanced growth factor (EGF), cholera toxin, hydrocortisone were pur- by the extract at intermediate concentrations (from 5 to chased from Sigma Chemical Co. (U.S.A.). Dispase II was 60 mg/ml).12) Using indirect immunofluorescence we demon- purchased from Boehringer Mannheim (U.S.A.). Ker- strated the up-regulation effects of the extract on human ker- atinocyte Growth Medium was purchased from Clonetics atinocyte production of the basement membrane zone com- (U.S.A.). The phenolic acid standards were purchased from ponents and extracellular matrix proteins.10) Sigma, and the flavonoid standards from Apin, Abingdon, ∗ To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: [email protected] © 2001 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 1374 Vol. 24, No. 12 254, 290 and 335 nm, and for the separations 100 ml of each fraction were injected. Different fractions were collected and lyophilized for chemical analysis by analytical HPLC cou- pled with a diode array detection (DAD) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). Analysis of the Compounds by HPLC with DAD and APCI-MS The compounds obtained after separation of the constituents in A, B and C were analyzed by means of HPLC/DAD and HPLC/APCI-MS and the data obtained were compared with those of standards. The analytical HPLC system consisted of a Waters LC 600 pump and 996 photodi- ode array detector. A LiChrospher 100RP-18 (5 mm) column was used, 4.0 mm (i.d.)3250. Gradient profiles based on two solvents, denoted A and B, were employed. A was 2% aque- ous HOAc and B was MeOH–HOAc–H2O, 18:1:1. Initial conditions were 75% A, 25% B, with a linear gradient reach- ing B5100% at t520 min. This was followed by isocratic elution (B5100%) to t524 min, after which the programme Fig. 1. Overview of the Fractionation and Identification of the Plant Ex- returned to the initial solvent composition. Column tempera- 2 tract ture was maintained at 30 °C, and a flow rate of 1.0 ml·min 1 was used. All samples were injected by autosampler. U.K. For HPLC/APCI-MS, chromatography was performed in a Preparation of Crude Total Ethanol Extract Crude similar manner to analytical HPLC except the concentration extract was prepared from fresh leaves of C. odorata. of acetic acid in the mobile phases was 1%. Mass spectra Method of extraction was described before.11) Fresh leaves of were recorded using a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer C. odorata (10 kg) were collected, washed, dried in sunlight (Finnigan LCQ) with the sample being ionised by an APCI for 5 d then in 45 °C incubator for another 3 d. One kilogram source using a vaporiser temperature of 550 °C, sheath and of dried purified leaves were powdered, divided into 3 auxillary nitrogen flow pressures of 80 and 20 psi respec- batches then extracted with 4000 ml of absolute ethanol in a tively, a capillary temperature of 150 °C and a needle current Soxhlet apparatus for 12 h per batch. Twelve liters of the of 5 mA. The mass spectrometer was controlled by Xcalibur ethanol fraction was evaporated under vacuum using a Ro- 1.0 software (Finnigan) which was programmed to record the tary Vacuum Evaporator, RE 100, Bibby, U.K. Chlorophyll, first order mass spectra and then the Collision Induced Dis- resin and lipids were removed by Whatman paper filtration sociation (CID) spectra of three or four of the most intense and by extraction of the residue with petroleum ether in a ions in each first order spectrum by means of the dynamic Pyrex Separatory Funnel. One hundred grams of the dried exclusion facility. CID spectra were obtained by prior isola- residue were divided into 2 parts. One part (50 g) of the tion of the parent ion in the trap (isolation width 5 amu) and residue were shaken with five portions of diethyl ether to ex- then applying a collision energy of 45% (without wide band tract lipophilic substances. The diethyl ether was evaporated activation). Dynamic exclusion allowed the CID spectra of under vacuum to yield 5 g of a yellow thick extract. For cell coeluting compounds to be recorded automatically by the in- culture experiments, this lipophilic extract was reconstituted strument without prior knowledge of their molecular masses. in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO; Sigma, U.S.A.), which was ad- Positive ion APCI-MS was used to obtain the pseudomolecu- justed to a final volume in culture medium ,0.1% (v/v). Var- lar ion of flavonoids, and negative ion APCI-MS (with post- ious dilutions at 50, 100 and 200 mg/ml of the extract in the column pre-mass spectrometer neutralization of the acetic medium were prepared on the day of the experiment (Fig.