Akihiro Tai

Evaluation of antioxidant activity of vanillin by using multiple antioxidant assays.

BACKGROUND Vanillin, a compound widely used in foods, beverages, cosmetics and drugs, has been reported to exhibit multifunctional effects such as antimutagenic, antiangiogenetic, anti-colitis, anti-sickling, and antianalgesic effects. However, results of studies on the antioxidant activity of vanillin are not consistent. METHODS We systematically evaluated the antioxidant activity of vanillin using multiple assay systems. DPPH radical-, galvinoxyl radical-, and ABTS(+)-scavenging assays, ORAC assay and an oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay (OxHLIA) were used for determining the antioxidant activity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Vanillin showed stronger activity than did ascorbic acid and Trolox in the ABTS(+)-scavenging assay but showed no activity in the DPPH radical- and galvinoxyl radical-scavenging assays. Vanillin showed much stronger antioxidant activity than did ascorbic acid and Trolox in the ORAC assay and OxHLIA. In the ABTS(+)-scavenging assay, ORAC assay and OxHLIA, vanillin reacted with radicals via a self-dimerization mechanism. The dimerization contributed to the high reaction stoichiometry against ABTS(+) and AAPH-derived radicals to result in the strong effect of vanillin. Oral administration of vanillin to mice increased the vanillin concentration and the antioxidant activity in plasma. These data suggested that antioxidant activity of vanillin might be more beneficial than has been thought for daily health care. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Based on the results of the present study, we propose the addition of antioxidant capacity to the multifunctionality of vanillin.

Cyclooxygenase-1-Selective Inhibitors Are Attractive Candidates for Analgesics That Do Not Cause Gastric Damage. Design and in Vitro/in Vivo Evaluation of a Benzamide-Type Cyclooxygenase-1 Selective Inhibitor

Although cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibition is thought to be a major mechanism of gastric damage by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), some COX-1-selective inhibitors exhibit strong analgesic effects without causing gastric damage. However, it is not clear whether their analgesic effects are attributable to COX-1-inhibitory activity or other bioactivities. Here, we report that N-(5-amino-2-pyridinyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide ( 18f, TFAP), which has a structure clearly different from those of currently available COX-1-selective inhibitors, is a potent COX-1-selective inhibitor (COX-1 IC 50 = 0.80 +/- 0.05 microM, COX-2 IC 50 = 210 +/- 10 microM). This compound causes little gastric damage in rats even at an oral dose of 300 mg/kg, though it has an analgesic effect at as low a dose as 10 mg/kg. Our results show that COX-1-selective inhibitors can be analgesic agents without causing gastric damage.

In vivo anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ellagitannin metabolite urolithin A

Urolithin A is a major metabolite produced by rats and humans after consumption of pomegranate juice or pure ellagitannin geraniin. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of urolithin A on carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. The volume of paw edema was reduced at 1h after oral administration of urolithin A. In addition, plasma in treated mice exhibited significant oxygen radical antioxidant capacity (ORAC) scores with high plasma levels of the unconjugated form at 1h after oral administration of urolithin A. These results indicate strong associations among plasma urolithin A levels, the plasma ORAC scores, and anti-inflammatory effects and may help explain a mechanism by which ellagitannins confer protection against inflammatory diseases.

A method for evaluation of antioxidant activity based on inhibition of free radical-induced erythrocyte hemolysis.

There are many in vitro methods for evaluating antioxidant activity. In this chapter, we describe an operationally simple cell-based assay, oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay (OxHLIA). OxHLIA is based on inhibition of free radical-induced membrane damage in erythrocytes by antioxidants. The advantage of this method is that it uses peroxyl radicals as pro-oxidants and erythrocytes as oxidizable targets so that the results obtained reflect biologically relevant radical-scavenging activity and microlocalization of antioxidants. We also present here a comparison of OxHLIA with other common methods (DPPH, ABTS(*+), and ORAC assays).

Antioxidative Properties of Vanillic Acid Esters in Multiple Antioxidant Assays

The antioxidative properties of vanillic acid esters were systematically evaluated by multiple assays to compare with the well-known antioxidants, vanillic acid and Trolox. We first performed assays with the model radicals, DPPH, galvinoxyl and ABTS cation (ABTS•+) types. Methyl vanillate, ethyl vanillate and butyl vanillate showed stronger activity than Trolox in the ABTS•+-scavenging assay, but showed no activity in the DPPH radical- and galvinoxyl radical-scavenging assays. In contrast, vanillic acid could quench the three radicals. We then evaluated their antioxidative activities by an ORAC assay and an oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay (OxHLIA), using physiologically relevant peroxyl radicals. Vanillic acid esters and vanillic acid exerted much stronger activity than Trolox in the ORAC assay and OxHLIA. The antioxidative activity by OxHLIA was strongly correlated to the lipophilicity of vanillic acid and its esters. These results indicate that the protective effect of vanillic acid esters against free radical-induced biomembrane damage increased with increasing lipophilicity.

Reassessment of antioxidant activity of arbutin: Multifaceted evaluation using five antioxidant assay systems

Abstract Arbutin, a practically used skin-lightening agent, has been reported to possess a weak antioxidant activity compared to that of its precursor, hydroquinone. However, its antioxidant activity has not been systematically evaluated. Hence, this study reassessed its activity using five assay systems. Assays were first performed using model radicals, DPPH radical and ABTS•+. Arbutin showed weak DPPH radical-scavenging activity compared to that of hydroquinone, but showed strong ABTS•+-scavenging activity. Its activity by ORAC assay was then evaluated using a physiologically relevant peroxyl radical. Arbutin exerted weak but long-lasting radical-scavenging activity and showed totally the same antioxidant activity as that of hydroquinone. Finally, it was shown that, in two cell-based antioxidant assays using erythrocytes and skin fibroblasts, arbutin exerted strong antioxidant activity comparable or even superior to that of hydroquinone. These findings indicate that the antioxidant activity of arbutin may have been under-estimated and suggest that it acts as a potent antioxidant in the skin.

Effects of Rooibos Tea Extract on Antigen-specific Antibody Production and Cytokine Generation in Vitro and in Vivo

Rooibos tea contains a large amount of flavonoids and acts as a potent antioxidant. In this study, we examined the effects of Rooibos tea extract on antigenspecific antibody production and cytokine generation in vitro and in vivo. The primary in vitro anti-ovalbumin (anti-OVA) or sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody production in murine splenocytes was markedly stimulated by the addition of the tea extract at concentrations of 1-100 μg/ml. On the other hand, a nonspecific antibody response elicited with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in purified splenic B-cells was not modified by the extract. Rooibos tea extract caused an increase in the generation of interleukin 2 (IL-2) both in OVA- and anti-CD3-primed splenocytes at concentrations ranging from 10 μg/ml to 1000 μg/ml. In contrast, this tea extract suppressed the generation of interleukin 4 (IL-4) in OVA-primed splenocytes. Moreover, the reduction of OVA-induced antibody production in serum of the cyclosporin A (CyA)-treated rats can be significantly restored and the IL-2 generation in murine splenocytes was stimulated, following oral administrations of Rooibos tea extract. Thus, our findings suggested that Rooibos tea extract may facilitate the antigen-specific antibody production through selective augmentation of IL-2 generation both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, Rooibos tea intake may be of value in prophylaxis of the diseases involving a severe defect in Th1 immune response such as cancer, allergy, AIDS, and other infections.

Antioxidative Properties of Functional Polyphenols and Their Metabolites Assessed by an ORAC Assay

We compared the antioxidative activities of polyphenol metabolites with those of intact functional polyphenols by an assay of the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). The metabolites of ellagitannin geraniin, chlorogenic acid, and (−)-epigallocatechin gallate displayed more potent antioxidative activity than their respective original compounds. Our findings suggest that these metabolites may play important roles as biological antioxidants after their consumption.

The First Potent Subtype‐Selective Retinoid X Receptor (RXR) Agonist Possessing a 3‐Isopropoxy‐4‐isopropylphenylamino Moiety, NEt‐3IP (RXRα/β‐dual agonist)

Retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonists (rexinoids) are attracting much attention for their use in treatment of cancers, including tamoxifen‐resistant breast cancer and taxol‐resistant lung cancer, and metabolic disease. However, known RXR agonists have a highly lipophilic character. In addition, no subtype‐selective RXR agonists have been found. We previously reported an RXRα‐preferential agonist 4‐[N‐methanesulfonyl‐N‐(5,5,8,8‐tetramethyl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐2‐naphthyl)amino]benzoic acid (6 a). The RXR agonistic activity is much less than that of well‐known RXR agonists. To develop potent, less‐lipophilic, and subtype‐selective RXR agonists, we created new RXR agonists possessing alkoxy and isopropyl groups as a lipophilic domain of the common structure of well‐known RXR agonists. As a result, compounds possessing branched alkoxy groups, 6‐[N‐ethyl‐N‐(3‐isopropoxy‐4‐isopropylphenyl)amino]nicotinic acid (NEt‐3IP: 7 a) and 6‐[N‐ethyl‐N‐(3‐isobutoxy‐4‐isopropylphenyl)amino]nicotinic acid (NEt‐3IB: 7 c), showed RXR agonistic activity as potent as, or more potent than, the activities of representative RXR agonists. Moreover, NEt‐3IP (7 a) was found to be the first RXRα/β‐selective (or RXRα/β‐dual) agonist. Being potent, less lipophilic, and having RXR subtype‐selective activity, NEt‐3IP (7 a) is expected to become a new drug candidate and to be a useful biological tool for clarifying each RXR subtype function.

Induction of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells by the medium-chain fatty acid octanoic acid

It has been shown that polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachinonic and docosahexanoic acids but not monounsaturated and saturated long-chain fatty acids promote basal and nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neurite extension of PC12 cells, a line derived from a rat pheochromocytoma. On the other hand, short-chain fatty acids and valproic acid (2-propylpentanoic acid) enhance the growth of neurite processes of the cells only in the presence of inducers. In this study, we demonstrated that straight medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) at millimolar concentrations alone potently induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. Hexanoic, heptanoic and octanoic acids dose-dependently induced neurite outgrowth of the cells: their maximal effects determined 2 days after addition to the culture medium were more marked than the effect of NGF. PC12 cells exposed to octanoic acid expressed increased levels of the neuronal marker beta-tubulin isotype III. Nonanoic, decanoic, and dodecanoic acids also induced growth of neurite processes, but their maximal effects were less marked than that of octanoic acid. In contrast, the polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid and short-chain fatty acids had only slight or almost no effects on neurite formation in the absence of NGF. The effect of octanoic acid was synergistic with or additive to the effects of NGF and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Octanoic acid upregulated phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), critical signaling molecules in neuronal differentiation, but not phosphorylation of Akt, a signaling molecule downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Moreover, growth of neurites induced by octanoic acid was potently inhibited by treatment of cells with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 and the ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 but not inhibited and only slightly inhibited by the JNK inhibitor SP600125 and the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin, respectively. Taken together, our results indicate that MCFAs, including octanoic acid, induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells in the absence of NGF and suggest that the activation of p38 MAPK and ERK pathways is involved in this process.