Comparison of byakujutsu (Atractylodes rhizome) and sojutsu (Atractylodes lancea rhizome) on anti-inflammatory and immunostimulative effects in vitro

AbstractThe Japanese Pharmacopoeia defines byakujutsu (Atractylodes rhizome) as the rhizome ofAtractylodes japonica orA. macrocephala and sojutsu (Atractylodes lancea rhizome) as the rhizome ofA. lancea,A. chinensis, or their interspecific hybrids. Because their pharmaceutical uses differ in traditional Japanese Kampo medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, with less apparent scientific evidence, we compared the pharmacological properties between byakujutsu and sojutsu. Crude drug specimens of byakujutsu (n = 40) and sojutsu (n = 49) obtained in markets were identified by their species using DNA profiling. Their pharmacological properties were evaluated by the inhibitory effect of a MeOH extract of the samples on nitric oxide (NO) production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells and by t he inducing effect of boiling water extract of the samples on granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) secretion from murine normal colonic epithelial MCE301 cells. We authenticatedA. macrocephala (n = 8),A. japonica (n = 35), and the hybrid betweenA. macrocephala andA. japonica (n = 1), and they were used as byakujutsu. We authenticatedA. chinensis (n = 25),A. lancea (n = 14), and the hybrid betweenA. chinensis andA. lancea (n = 6), and they were used as sojutsu. The inhibitory effects of byakujutsu on NO production were significantly higher than those of sojutsu (P <  0.05). This activity ofA. japonica rhizome was significantly h...
Source: Journal of Natural Medicines - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research