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Planta Med 2017; 83(14/15): 1159-1168
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-109372
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Evaluation of the Effect of Epilobium angustifolium Aqueous Extract on LNCaP Cell Proliferation in In Vitro and In Vivo Models[*]

Jakub P. Piwowarski
1   Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Barbara Bobrowska-Korczak
2   Department of Bromatology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Iwona Stanisławska
1   Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Wojciech Bielecki
3   Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Live Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
,
Robert Wrzesien
4   Central Laboratory of Experimental Animals, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Sebastian Granica
1   Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Katarzyna Krupa
1   Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
,
Anna K. Kiss
1   Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 30 January 2017
revised 03 April 2017

accepted 12 April 2017

Publication Date:
28 April 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Epilobium sp. are commonly used in traditional medicine in the treatment of early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia and inflammation. It is suggested that a dominating constituent, oenothein B, is responsible for the extracts therapeutic effects. Several bioactivities were established for extracts and oenothein B in various in vitro models, but due to the questionable bioavailability of this dimeric macrocyclic ellagitannin, their significance in the in vivo effects remains unresolved. We have thus focused our attention on a complex comparative investigation of the in vitro and in vivo activities of phytochemically characterized Epilobium angustifolium aqueous extract and oenothein B on prostate cancer cells proliferation.

Incubation of different cell lines with E. angustifolium aqueous extract resulted in a significant reduction of proliferation of PZ-HPV-7 and LNCaP cells, which was partly associated with antiandrogenic activity. These effects were fully congruent with oenothein B, examined in parallel. Oral supplementation of rats implanted with LNCaP cells with E. angustifolium aqueous extract 50–200 mg/kg b. w. resulted in a reduction of the occurrence of prostatic adenoma up to 13 %. Oenothein B was not detected in the urine and feces of the E. angustifolium aqueous extract-treated group, however, conjugates of nasutins gut microbiota metabolites of ellagitannins were detected in the urine, while in human volunteers supplemented with Epilobium tea, only urolithin conjugates were present.

Despite observing significant and consistent effects in vitro and in vivo, we were unable to point out unequivocally the factors contributing to the observed E. angustifolium aqueous extract activity, facing the problems of an unknown metabolic fate of oenothein B and interspecies differences in E. angustifolium aqueous extract gut microbiota metabolism.

Key words

Epilobium angustifolium - Onagraceae - oenothein B - prostate cancer - LNCaP - polyphenols metabolites

* Dedicated to Professor Dr. Max Wichtl in recognition of his outstanding contribution to pharmacognosy research.


Supporting Information

    Extract and fractions preparation, phytochemical characterization by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS, and chromatograms representing urolithins formed during incubation of the extract, fractions, and OeB by a human gut microbiota ex vitro culture as well as photos of tumor hyperplasia in rats with implanted prostate cancer cells are available as Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information
 

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