Arctigenin – an effective modulator of gene expression related to the TLR pathways

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the relationship between quality of life, health and a balanced diet rich in bioactive compounds and appropriate supplementation. An interesting class of bioactive substances are compounds from the lignan group, which are commonly found in food plants, including the genera Linum, Forsythia and Sesamum. An example of a structure representing the lignan group is arctigenin, which is also found in herbs, including Arctium lappa L. or Forsythia suspensa Vahl. Both arctigenin and its glycosidic form, arctiin, have shown various therapeutic properties, including antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Arctigenin, through its involvement in various molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways, has also been shown to exhibit broad potential for anti-inflammatory activity, which is still under investigation.

The aim of this study was to analyse the anti-inflammatory activity of arctigenin, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- stimulated, THP-1-derived macrophages, by assessing the expression profile of multiple genes related to the Toll – like (TLR) receptor signalling pathways.

Arctigenin reduced the LPS-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting the MyD88-dependent and MyD88-independent TLR receptor expression pathways (TLR3, TLR5, TLR8), leading to inhibition of the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-6, IL-1, IFN-a), and induction of apoptosis in this model.

Inflammatory responses are an important component of various acute and chronic disease states. Our results lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms that allow arctigenin to act as a potent adjuvant and immunomodulatory agent.

 

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2023