The anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of dioscin from the roots of Paris Polyphylla Smith

Paris Polyphylla Smith is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. For its effective of antipyretic detoxicate, its active component is steroid saponin^[1]. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of dioscin from the roots of Paris Polyphylla Smith (PPSD), its 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities and abilities to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 were examined. And the mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were also quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. PPSD showed potent DPPH radical scavenging and NO inhibitory activities as com-pared with positive controls(L-ascorbic acid and N(G)-monomethyl- L-arginine (L-NMMA), respectively). Also, PPSD dose- dependently inhibited the expressions of iNOS and COX-2 as well as their mRNA levels.