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Hydrophobic Fractions of Triticum aestivum L. Extracts Contain Polyphenols and Alleviate Inflammation by Regulating Nuclear Factor-kappa B

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Abstract

As a nutritional supplement, wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects that are exerted through signal transduction pathways. Wheatgrass was extracted in 80% ethanol (WGE), and the ethanol extracts were further fractionated using ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. To determine the antioxidant activity, WGE was tested using various radical-scavenging assays. To explain the anti-inflammatory mechanisms, western blotting, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, luciferase assay, immunofluorescence staining, and the inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation were performed using mouse macrophage cells (RAW 264.7). Inhibition of proinflammatory and Th2 cytokines was analyzed using a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced contact dermatitis mouse model. WGE exhibited a strong antioxidant activity in radical scavenging-assays conducted using artificial and natural substrates. The ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions (hydrophobic fractions) obtained from the 80% ethanolic extract, inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene, whereas the aqueous layer (the hydrophilic fraction) showed no inhibitory effects. In addition, the hydrophobic fractions inhibited nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and reduced phosphorylation of MAPK, indicating that inflammation was alleviated possibly by the regulation of NF-κB signaling. This mechanism was further elucidated using the RAW 264.7 cell line and mouse model. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, the hydrophobic fractions were separated into over 10 phenolic compounds, among which benzoic acid, quercetin, and luteolin were abundant. The study demonstrated that wheatgrass is a potential nutraceutical candidate with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for future use in health foods and cosmetics.

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Acknowledgment

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Chosun University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea for allowing access to their experimental facilities including the microscope.

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2018R1A6A3A01012281), and also by the National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science and ICT) (NRF-2017R1A2B4006204).

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  1. Department of Biochemical and Polymer Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea

    Moon-Hee Choi, Seung-Hwa Yang & Hyun-Jae Shin

  2. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, 61452, Korea

    Min Young Lee & Young Jin Jeon

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Choi, MH., Lee, M.Y., Yang, SH. et al. Hydrophobic Fractions of Triticum aestivum L. Extracts Contain Polyphenols and Alleviate Inflammation by Regulating Nuclear Factor-kappa B. Biotechnol Bioproc E 26, 93–106 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-020-0352-7

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