Abstract
Arctium lappa is a perennial species of the Asteraceae family originally from Europe and Asia.
Considered a weed species in the southern region of Brazil, it is popularly used as
a natural anti-inflammatory. The complement system is an important component of the
innate immune response. However, its exacerbated activation can lead to harmful conditions
like autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Plants that inhibit the activation of
complement can be a promising tool in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Here,
we evaluated the effect of A. lappa leaves extracts on the activation of the classical and alternative pathways of complement
system. Two extracts were obtained under supercritical conditions using scCO2 with ethanol as cosolvent, at 313.15K, 15 MPa (E1) and 25 MPa (E2). Classical and
alternative activation were evaluated using complement fixation test. Different concentrations
of A. lappa extracts E1 and E2 showed an inhibitory effect on both complement pathways, and heparin
was used as control. The IC50 of E1, E2, and heparin were 28.26, 20.12 and 92.54 µg/mL for classical and 26.12,
27.70, 27.78 µg/mL for the alternative pathway. Results demonstrate that A. lappa is a promising complementary treatment for diseases associated with complement activation.
Key words
Arctium lappa
- Asteraceae - burdock - supercritical extract - classical pathway - alternative pathway
- complement system - hemolysis inhibition
