In Vitro Anti-inflammatory Effects of Equisetum arvense Are Not Solely Mediated by Silica

Abstract

Equisetum arvense, known as common horsetail, is used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and is the plant with the highest concentration of silica. Yet it is unknown if the medicinal properties are mediated by its silica content. In the current study, optimal conditions for silica-rich horsetail preparations were identified. Bioactivity of the preparations was analyzed in vitro using flow cytometry-based activity and functionality profiling of primary human lymphocytes as well as cytokine measurement using a classical ELISA technique. Experiments revealed that horsetail preparations suppress activation and proliferation of lymphocytes by an interleukin-2-dependent mechanism. The effect increased with the silica concentration in the decoctions. Lymphocytesʼ polyfunctionality was also influenced, shown by a downregulation of IFN-γ. Analytical profiling by HPLC-UV-MS and bioactivity testing revealed relevant immunosuppressive concentrations of a component that has been identified as isoquercitrin. Our results show that both silica and isoquercitrin are active compounds of horsetail preparations.

Key words

Equisetum arvense - Equisetaceae - silica - isoquercitrin - lymphocytes - immune modulation

• References

• 1 Law C, Exley C. New insight into silica deposition in horsetail (Equisetum arvense). BMC Plant Biol 2011; 11: 112
• 2 Sapei L, Gierlinger N, Hartmann J, Nöske R, Strauch P, Paris O. Structural and analytical studies of silica accumulations in Equisetum hyemale . Anal Bioanal Chem 2007; 389: 1249-1257
• 3 Holzhüter G, Narayanan K, Gerber T. Structure of silica in Equisetum arvense . Anal Bioanal Chem 2003; 376: 512-517
• 4 German Commission E. Equiseti herba (Schachtelhalmkraut). Bundesanzeiger Nr. 173. Köln: Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbH; 1986
• 5 (EP) European Pharmacopoeia. European Pharmacopoeia. In: European Pharmacopoeia (European Treaty Series) from the Council of Europe. Strasbourg: Stationary Office Books; 2010
• 6 Wright CI, Van-Buren L, Kroner CI, Koning MMG. Herbal medicines as diuretics: a review of the scientific evidence. J Ethnopharmacol 2007; 114: 1-31
• 7 Bessa Pereira C, Gomes PS, Costa-Rodrigues J, Almeida Palmas R, Vieira L, Ferraz MP, Lopes MA, Fernandes MH. Equisetum arvense hydromethanolic extracts in bone tissue regeneration: in vitro osteoblastic modulation and antibacterial activity. Cell Prolif 2012; 45: 386-396
• 8 Milovanović V, Radulović N, Todorović Z, Stanković M, Stojanović G. Antioxidant, antimicrobial and genotoxicity screening of hydro-alcoholic extracts of five serbian Equisetum species. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2007; 62: 113-119
• 9 Radulović N, Stojanović G, Palić R. Composition and antimicrobial activity of Equisetum arvense L. essential oil. Phytother Res 2006; 20: 85-88
• 10 Četojević-Simin DD, Čanadanović-Brunet JM, Bogdanović GM, Djilas SM, Ćetković GS, Tumbas VT, Stojiljković BT. Antioxidative and antiproliferative activities of different horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) extracts. J Med Food 2010; 13: 452-459
• 11 Štajner D, Popović BM, Čanadanović-Brunet J, Boža P. Free radical scavenging activity of three Equisetum species from Fruška gora mountain. Fitoterapia 2006; 77: 601-604
• 12 Štajner D, Popović BM, Čanadanović-Brunet J, Anačkov G. Exploring Equisetum arvense L., Equisetum ramosissimum L. and Equisetum telmateia L. as sources of natural antioxidants. Phytother Res 2009; 23: 546-550
• 13 Wu LC, Jou AF, Chen SH, Tien CY, Cheng CF, Fan NC, Ho JA. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-browning activities of hot water extracts of oriental herbal teas. Food Funct 2010; 1: 200-208
• 14 Nagai T, Myoda T, Nagashima T. Antioxidative activities of water extract and ethanol extract from field horsetail (tsukushi) Equisetum arvense L. Food Chem 2005; 91: 389-394
• 15 Costa-Rodrigues J, Carmo SC, Silva JC, Fernandes MHR. Inhibition of human in vitro osteoclastogenesis by Equisetum arvense . Cell Prolif 2012; 45: 566-576
• 16 Do Monte FHM, dos Santos jr. JG, Russi M, Bispo Lanziotti VMN, Leal LKAM, de Andrade Cunha GM. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the hydroalcoholic extract of stems from Equisetum arvense L. in mice. Pharmacol Res 2004; 49: 239-243
• 17 Gründemann C, Lengen K, Sauer B, Garcia-Käufer M, Zehl M, Huber R. Equisetum arvense (common horsetail) modulates the function of inflammatory immunocompetent cells. BMC Complement Altern Med 2014; 14: 283
• 18 Veit M, Geiger H, Czygan FC, Markham KR. Malonylated flavone 5-O-glucosides in the barren sprouts of Equisetum arvense . Phytochemistry 1990; 29: 2555-2560
• 19 Piekos R, Paslawska S. Studies on the optimum conditions of extraction of silicon species from plants with water. I. Equisetum arvense L. Herb. Planta Med 1975; 27: 145-150
• 20 Paslawska S, Piekos R. Studies on the optimum conditions of extraction of silicon species from plants with water. IV. Agropyron repens . Planta Med 1976; 30: 216-222
• 21 Meyer U, Staiger K, Seiz A. Rechnen Sie auf die Kieselsäure. Der Merkurstab 2012; 65: 112-116
• 22 Meyer U, Pedersen A. eds. Anthroposophische Pharmazie. Berlin: Salumed; 2016
• 23 Farooq MA, Dietz KJ. Silicon as versatile player in plant and human biology: overlooked and poorly understood. Front Plant Sci 2015; 6: 994
• 24 Lee S, Matsuzaki H, Kumagai-Takei N, Yoshitome K, Maeda M, Chen Y, Kusaka M, Urakami K, Hayashi H, Fujimoto W, Nishimura Y, Otsuki T. Silica exposure and altered regulation of autoimmunity. Environ Health Prev Med 2014; 19: 322-329
• 25 Pollard KM. Silica, silicosis, and autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2016; 7: 97
• 26 Speck-Hernandez CA, Montoya-Ortiz G. Silicon, a possible link between environmental exposure and autoimmune diseases: the case of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis 2012; 2012: 604187
• 27 Mimica-Dukic N, Simin N, Cvejic J, Jovin E, Orcic D, Bozin B. Phenolic compounds in field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) as natural antioxidants. Molecules 2008; 13: 1455-1464
• 28 Kawai M, Hirano T, Higa S, Arimitsu J, Maruta M, Kuwahara Y, Ohkawara T, Hagihara K, Yamadori T, Shima Y, Ogata A, Kawase I, Tanaka T. Flavonoids and related compounds as anti-allergic substances. Allergol Int 2007; 56: 113-123
• 29 Kim HP, Son KH, Chang HW, Kang SS. Anti-inflammatory plant flavonoids and cellular action mechanisms. J Pharmacol Sci 2004; 96: 229-245
• 30 Rajendran P, Rengarajan T, Nandakumar N, Palaniswami R, Nishigaki Y, Nishigaki I. Kaempferol, a potential cytostatic and cure for inflammatory disorders. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 86: 103-112
• 31 Valentová K, Šíma P, Rybková Z, Křížan J, Malachová K, Křen V. (Anti)mutagenic and immunomodulatory properties of quercetin glycosides. J Sci Food Agric 2016; 96: 1492-1499
• 32 Oh H, Kim DH, Cho JH, Kim YC. Hepatoprotective and free radical scavenging activities of phenolic petrosins and flavonoids isolated from Equisetum arvense . J Ethnopharmacol 2004; 95: 421-424
• 33 Fernandez J, Reyes R, Ponce H, Oropeza M, Vancalsteren MR, Jankowski C, Campos MG. Isoquercitrin from Argemone platyceras inhibits carbachol and leukotriene D4-induced contraction in guinea-pig airways. Eur J Pharmacol 2005; 522: 108-115
• 34 Kim AR, Jin Q, Jin HG, Ko HJ, Woo ER. Phenolic compounds with IL-6 inhibitory activity from Aster yomena . Arch Pharm Res 2014; 37: 845-851
• 35 Li L, Zhang XH, Liu GR, Liu C, Dong YM. Isoquercitrin suppresses the expression of histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the activation of MAP Kinases and NF-κB in human KU812 cells. Chin J Nat Med 2016; 14: 407-412
• 36 Morikawa K, Nonaka M, Narahara M, Torii I, Kawaguchi K, Yoshikawa T, Kumazawa Y, Morikawa S. Inhibitory effect of quercetin on carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats. Life Sci 2003; 74: 709-721