Bioactive compounds from Prosthechea karwinskii decrease obesity, insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory status, and cardiovascular risk in Wistar rats with metabolic syndrome.
The orchid Prosthechea karwinskii is a species endemic to Mexico, which is used in traditional medicine to lower glucose levels in patients with diabetes, and to treat inflammation-related problems. Recent studies have shown that this orchids can reduce glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in Wistar rats, which were previously induced to have metabolic syndrome (MS).
To evaluate the effect of P. karwinskii leaves extract on the components of metabolic syndrome: obesity, insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory status, and cardiovascular risk in a Wistar rat model, and to identify the bioactive compounds in the extract.
UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS was used to identify the compounds present in the extract. MS was induced in Wistar rats through administration of a 40% sucrose diet for 20 weeks. The rats were divided into five groups that received different treatments for 4 weeks: one group without any treatment, one group receiving metformin (200 mg/kg p.o.), and three groups receiving different doses of P. karwinskii leaves extract (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg p.o.). The animals' body weights were recorded weekly, and at the end of the experiment, they were sacrificed after fasting for 18 h to determine the levels of glucose, insulin, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and adiponectin in the serum, as well as levels of TNF-α and HS-CRP in the serum and liver homogenates. The abdominal and pericardial fat weights were also recorded.
The main bioactive compounds of the extract were quinic acid, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, kaempferol-3-o-β-rutinoside, and embelin, known to exhibit MS-related bioactivity. Oral administration of P. karwinskii leaves extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg decreased weight gain, abdominal and pericardial fat deposits, and insulin resistance. At the end of the treatment, levels of triglycerides, TNF-α, HS-CRP, and adiponectin returned to levels similar to normal.
P. karwinskii extract (300 mg/kg) had an anti-obesity effect, decreased insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory status, and cardiovascular risk in rats with induced MS by increasing adiponectin levels and decreasing TNF-α and HS-CRP levels. The compounds identified in the extract could be responsible for these effects, acting alone or in synergy, as several compounds in the extract are known to have MS-related bioactivity. The foliar extract of P. karwinskii has potential as an effective alternative to a cocktail of drugs used to treat problems associated with MS.
Barragán-Zarate GS
,Alexander-Aguilera A
,Lagunez-Rivera L
,Solano R
,Soto-Rodríguez I
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Prosthechea karwinskii, an orchid used as traditional medicine, exerts anti-inflammatory activity and inhibits ROS.
Prosthechea karwinskii (Mart.) J.M.H. Shaw is a Mexican orchid used in traditional medicine by some indigenous communities to treat issues related to inflammation (cough, wounds, burns, and diabetes). Pharmacological research of this orchid could validate its therapeutic uses and demonstrate its potential for treating other health conditions of high prevalence in Mexico, including those associated with oxidative stress such as diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, and hypertension as well as inflammation.
The leaf extract from P. karwinskii was examined to identify its compounds and elucidate its inhibitory effect on reactive oxygen species as well as its anti-inflammatory activity and gastroprotective effects in an animal model.
Compounds were identified via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization with quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry. Inhibition of reactive oxygen species was determined ex vivo in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using a carrageenan-induced paw edema model in Wistar rats; nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were quantified. The gastroprotective effect was evaluated in Wistar rats with indomethacin-induced gastric injury.
Nine compounds were identified in the P. karwinskii leaf extract. Most compounds, such as quinic acid, malic acid, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, embelin, pinellic acid, and azelaic acid, were reported to exhibit antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activity. The extract was also found to inhibit reactive oxygen species in the ex vivo model. Unlike other anti-inflammatory drugs, the extract exerted a dual effect: anti-inflammatory activity and protection of the gastric mucosa. The results showed that the extract could significantly inhibit the release of nitric oxide without a dose-response relationship.
P. karwinskii leaf extract inhibited reactive oxygen species and exerted an anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, this extract did not induce gastric damage in the animals. The bioactivity of the species was found to support its use in traditional medicine. This orchid could be used to treat inflammatory diseases without causing the side effects associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It can also be employed to treat other pathological conditions associated with oxidative stress. The findings herein form the basis for the future discovery of natural products that may serve as safe alternative therapies for inflammatory disorders.
Barragán-Zarate GS
,Lagunez-Rivera L
,Solano R
,Pineda-Peña EA
,Landa-Juárez AY
,Chávez-Piña AE
,Carranza-Álvarez C
,Hernández-Benavides DM
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Validation of the traditional medicinal use of a Mexican endemic orchid (Prosthechea karwinskii) through UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS characterization of its bioactive compounds.
The orchid Prosthechea karwinskii is a medicinal orchid in Oaxaca, Mexico, used to treat diabetes, cough, wounds, and burns, prevent miscarriage and assist in labor. Each part of the plant (leaves, pseudobulbs, or flowers) is used by healers for certain treatment conditions, indicating that each part has different biocompounds with specific pharmacological activity.
To characterize the biocompounds in extracts from leaves, pseudobulbs, and flowers of P. karwinskii and evaluate their ROS inhibition capacity to associate it with medicinal uses.
The compounds present in extracts from leaves, pseudobulbs, and flowers of P. karwinskii were identified by UPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS. The chemical differentiation of each extract was tested by principal component analysis (PCA) using compound intensity values. For each extract, total phenol and flavonoid contents were quantified. Their antioxidant capacity was evaluated ex vivo by inhibition of ROS with DCFH-DA and in vitro with DPPH radical.
Based on the PCA, it was observed that some compounds were completely separated from others according to the correlation that they presented. The compounds common to all three plant parts were quinic, malic, succinic, azelaic, and pinellic acids. Among the compounds identified, two were exclusive to leaves, four to pseudobulbs, and ten to flowers. Some of the identified compounds have well-known antioxidant activity. The leaves had the highest content of total phenols and flavonoids, and the highest in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant capacity. A strong correlation was observed between phenol and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant capacity ex vivo and in vitro.
It was found that the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of each part of the plant were associated with its traditional medicinal use. A pharmacological potential was also found in P. karwinskii for further biological studies because of the type of compounds it contained.
Barragán-Zarate GS
,Lagunez-Rivera L
,Solano R
,Carranza-Álvarez C
,Hernández-Benavides DM
,Vilarem G
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