台灣特有菊科植物之抗發炎與護肝功能的研發 (2-2)

徐麗芬
中央研究院農業生物科技研究中心
菊科植物為台灣第三大維管束植物，其中多數種類常用為台灣的民俗草藥，其中薊屬的植物一般被認為具有護肝之功效。本計畫擬針對台灣本土特有薊屬植物：阿里山薊為目標，以科學實驗系統驗證其是否真正具有護肝功能及確認主要活性成分，並評估其開發為抗發炎或護肝功能之保健食品的潛力。本計畫將建立系統化之體外試驗平台(in vitro assay platform)，包括：巨噬細胞株(macrophage) 以及肝細胞株(hepatocytes)，利用此二類細胞分別進行篩選具有抗發炎與保護肝細胞損傷之生物活性成分。實驗結果顯示，阿里山薊的地下部(根部)抽出物具有抗發炎活性，且與地上部抽出物比較後發現不具細胞毒性，並且可保護APAP誘導小鼠肝臟細胞 (FL83B) 損傷的效果。在分析阿里山薊的地下部不同分層抽出物發現，乙酸乙酯層較其它分層含有高量總多酚類化合物。目前由地下部乙酸乙酯層分離純化得到兩個化合物syringin與ethyl caffeate。由體外試驗篩檢出最具開發潛力的藥草成分，將進一步利用本研究室建立之體內實驗動物模式(in vivo animal model)，例如：四氯化碳誘導小白鼠肝損傷、細菌內毒素脂多醣(lipopolysaccharide)與D-半乳糖胺(D-galactosamine)所誘導之猛爆性肝炎(fulminant hepatitis) 或藥物N -acetyl-p-aminophenol (or acetoaminophen, APAP) 所誘導之肝損傷動物系統來評估這些成分的護肝功效並瞭解其可能的作用機制，進而有效規範出具抗發炎或護肝功能之藥草成分組合、其製造品管條件與安全性與安定性評估，並於未來開發成為以科學驗證為基準(evidence-based)之護肝功能之保健食品。
關鍵字：阿里山薊、抗發炎、護肝作用、保健食品

Research and development of endemic Compositae plant in Taiwan as anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective agents (2-2)

Lie-Fen Shyur
Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica
Compositae plants are the third biggest flowering plants in Taiwan. Many of the Compositae plants have been frequently practiced as folk medicines locally, such as thistle plants, which have been anecdotally claimed for hepatoprotective effects. The objective of this project is to investigate and evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective bioactivities of an endemic thistle plant in Taiwan, i.e., Cirsium arisanense Kitamura. The preparation and fractionation protocols for the plant extract of C. arisanense will be established and standardized. Bioactive extracts or phytocompounds identified from the target herb will be further evaluated for their potentials to be further development into hepatoprotective functional food. In this project, in vitro assay platform using macrophage RAW264.7 cell line and normal hepatocytes FL83B cell line have been established, in attempt to evaluate the bioactivities of bioactive extract fractions or derived phytocompounds on anti-inflammation, preventing drug or toxin-induced hepatocytes damages. We observed that the enriched EA fraction of C. arisanense root extracts possess anti-inflammatory activity in macrophage cell system with little cytotoxicity as compared to the extracts prepared from the stem and leaf tissues of the plant. Furthermore, EA fraction of root extracts also exhibited protective effect against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in FL83B cells. On the other hand, we have demonstrated that EA fraction of C. arisanense root extracts contain the high level of total polyphenols. Syringin and ethyl caffeate were further isolated and identified from the EA fraction of C. arisanense root extracts. The key molecular mechanism(s) underlying the observed bioactivities will be elucidated. The herbal extract(s)/compounds exhibiting the most significant protective effects on liver cells or anti-inflammation, as demonstrated using the in vitro assay systems, will be further studied for their in vivo pharmacological bioactivities using carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage, LPS/D-GalN-induced fulminant hepatitis or APAp-induced liver damage in mouse model systems. The best bioactive fraction or compound formula, alone or as a mixture, for hepatoprotection will be created and its chemical manufacturing control (CMC) protocol will be established. The final goal of this project anticipates to developing science and evidence-based hepatoprotective healthy food(s) from endemic medicinal plant in Taiwan.
關鍵字：Cirsium arisanense Kitamura, anti-inflammation, hepatoprotection, healthy foods