Flavonoids from Apios americana Medikus Leaves Protect RAW264.7 Cells against Inflammation via Inhibition of MAPKs, Akt-mTOR Pathways, and Nfr2 Activation.

Apios americana Medikus was once widely accepted as staple food in India for a long time, and the tuber of which possesses high nutrients. During the past decades, most of the research has focused on the biological activity in the tubers of Apios americana Medikus whereas the leaves were ignored. In this study, the Apios americana Medikus leaf extract (ALE) was obtained and seven compounds were identified. LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells were used to study the anti-inflammation activity of ALE. As expected, ALE reduced the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) and inflammatory cytokines via inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signaling together with activation of Nrf2-Keap1 and FOXO pathways, as well as alleviating the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, ALE could activate HMGB1-Beclin1 and Sirt1-FoxO1 pathways and inhibit the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway to activate autophagy, protecting RAW264.7 cells from inflammation. In summary, our results suggested that ALE might help activate the anti-inflammation system, resulting in the prevention of LPS-induced damage in RAW264.7 cells.