Probing the anti-inflammatory activity of tormentil rhizome (Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch., rhizoma)

Traditional herbal medicinal products of Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch., rhizoma (tormentil rhizome) are indicated for symptomatic treatment of mild diarrhoea or minor inflammations of the oral mucosa exclusively based upon long-standing use. Tormentil’s utility is largely attributed to the astringent effects of the rhizome’s high tannin content but there are also non-clinical reports of the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulatory effects of tormentil that may contribute to its pharmacology. In this study, we probed the anti-inflammatory effects of tormentil rhizome in vitro and in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) mouse model of colitis. A methanolic extract was screened for effects on lipopolysaccharide induced cytokine release in human THP-1 cells and in murine immortalised bone marrow derived macrophages (iBMDMs). In phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate differentiated THP-1 cells, tormentil reduced the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and RANTES on stimulation. Somewhat contradictory results were found in murine iBMDMs, whereby treatment caused a dose dependent increase in TNF-α with no significant change in IL-6 or RANTES. In line with this, tormentil treatment in the DSS model increased TNF-α in the proximal colon tissue of the DSS group and also increased IL-1β and IL-10 significantly. Despite these changes, a small but significant reduction in colitis severity, as demonstrated by the reduced Disease Activity Index, was observed on the last day of the experiment. Furthermore, tormentil treatment increased basal IL-10 in the proximal colon of healthy control animals. Taken together, these results support further work to unravel the mechanism underlying the immunomodulatory effects of tormentil rhizome extract.

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2023