The Comparative Study on Bioactivities of Radix Paeoniae Alba and Radix Paeoniae Rubra

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) thinks Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA) can improve immune system but Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR) can not. In this study, the influences of RPA and RPR water extracts and mark compounds on the cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis and anti-inflammation of J774 macrophage cells were investigated to interpret the pharmacological differences between RPA and RPR. Hereinto, the influences on cell viabilities and cell proliferation and apoptosis indices were studied using MTT method and flow cytometry, respectively. And the effect of these extracts and compounds on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation was investigated by determining the nitric oxide concentration. As a result, the cell viability was enhanced by 1 mg/ml RPA (P < 0.01) and inhibited by 1 mg/ml RPR (P < 0.001). Albiflorin and benzoylpaeoniflorin can enhance the cell viability (P < 0.001), while gallic acid and 1,2,3,4,6- pentagalloyglucose (both richer in RPR than in RPA) can inhibit the cell viability (P < 0.001). The cell proliferation was activated by 1 mg/ml RPA (P < 0.05) and inhibited by 1 mg/ml RPR (P < 0.001). Paeoniflorin sulfonate and albiflorin (both richer in RPA than in RPR) and benzoylpaeoniflorin (similar content in both the herbs) can promote cell proliferation (P < 0.01), while gallic acid inhibits (P < 0.001). Both RPA and RPR can increase the early cell apoptosis. The apoptosis abilities of RPR and gallic acid are higher than RPA. Both RPA and RPR of 0.1 and 1 mg/ml can reduce NO production in LPS-induced J774 cells (P > 0.05). Except benzoylpaeoniflorin, other compounds can inhibit NO production (P > 0.05). The results show that RPA and its major compounds possess more significant bioactivities on J774 cells than RPR and its major compounds, which provide some indirect evidence to support that RPA and RPR should be classified into different category in TCM.

Acknowledgements: This work is funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (30901968).