Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of compounds from Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep.

Radix Tinosporae is a herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In the present study, its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities were investigated. The ethanol extract of Radix Tinosporae exhibited significant inhibitory effects on xylene-induced ear edema and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. Using bioassay-guided fractionation, the n-butanol fraction was determined as the active fraction. Further purification of the most active n-butanol fraction led to the isolation of three compounds, palmatine, columbamine and columbinyl glucoside. All three compounds showed inhibitory activities on xylene-induced ear edema, but only palmatine and columbamine exhibited significant inhibitory effects on acetic acid-induced writhing. In addition, palmatine and columbamine markedly inhibited in vitro production of nitric oxide and nuclear factor-kappaB activation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells in response to lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor alpha stimulation. These results provide justification for the utilization of Radix Tinosporae in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.