Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Immunomodulatory Studies on Triterpenoids from Scoparia dulcis Linn

Khaga Raj Sharma, Achyut Adhikari, Almas Jabeen, Nida Dastagir, Surya Kant Kalauni, M Iqbal Choudhary and Yuba Raj Pokharel

Glutinone (1), coixol (2), friedelin (3), glutinol (4), and betulinic acid (5) were isolated from the plant Scoparia dulcis. Their structures were identified using mass and 1D- and 2D- NMR techniques. All the compounds were tested for their immunomodulatory potential in oxidative burst assay. Compound 1 showed a significant inhibitory effect on the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from zymosan activated cells from whole blood (IC50 = 4.3 ± 0.6 μg/mL) as well as from isolated PMNs (IC50 = 5.0 ± 0.3 μg/mL) as compared to standard drug ibuprofen in whole blood (IC50 = 11.2± 1.9 μg/ mL) and in isolated PMNs (IC50 = 2.5± 0.6 μg/mL) shows that it is more active in whole blood as compared with isolated PMNs. Compound 1 when further tested for its effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and on nitric oxide (NO), was found to moderately inhibiting the production of TNF-α (19%) at a concentration 25 μg/mL. On the other hand a weak inhibitory effect of this compound was also observed on the production of IL-1β and NO production, whereas, compounds 2-5 showed no effect (IC50 = >100) on the release of ROS from zymosan activated cells.