Planta Med 2015; 81 - PW_89
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565713

The anti-inflammatory action of the herbal preparation STW5-II in normal human colonic mucosal cells

MJ Schmidt 1, H Abdel-Aziz 2, T Efferth 1
  • 1Inst. of Pharmacy & Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenburg University, Mainz, Germany
  • 2Scientific Dpt., Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing intestinal disorders characterized by an up regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines followed by an invasion of immune cells. Standard therapies consist of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs. Since clinical efficiency of the commonly used drugs is not satisfactory and most of them cause massive side effects, the search continues for new treatment options.

We investigated the protective effect of the fixed combination herbal preparation STW5-II and the contribution of its single components in an in vitro model of colonic inflammation. The normal human colonic epithelial cell line NCM460 was treated with STW5-II or its single components for 4h prior to induction of inflammation. A pro-inflammatory cocktail consisting of TNF-α, IL-β and IFNγ was used to simulate inflammatory conditions normally caused by immune cells. The effect on NCM460 cells was investigated by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) and Proteome Profiler®. Levels of IP-10, MCP-1, I-Tac, Gro-α and IL-8 were increased in inflammatory state and significantly reduced by STW5-II. The effect of its individual constituents was much less pronounced. Further we investigated the effect of STW5-II on pro-inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (Nf-κB) by analyzing nuclear extracts of treated NCM460 cells using Western blot and DNA binding ELISA. In addition HEK-Blue-Null-1 cells stably expressing HEK-Blue-Null1 vector and secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) on a NF-κB promoter were treated with various concentrations of STW5-II for 4h before induction of SEAP with TNF-α for another 24h. Effects on Nf-κB activity were inhibited only at high concentrations of STW5-II in both cell lines, hence the effect of STW 5-II on cytokine release was not mediated through NF-κB in the current experimental setting.

The herbal preparation was superior to single extracts highlighting the use of the combination. These results support a possible usefulness of STW5-II in treating IBD.