0000000000334292
AUTHOR
P. D’alessio
Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of betalains from Cactus Pear
Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Betalains from Cactus Pear. C. Gentile1, A. Marconi1, M. A. Livrea2, G. Uzan1, P. D’Alessio1. 1 Inserm U602, Paris, France. 2 Dip. Farmacochimico, Tossicologico e Biologico, Università Palermo, Italy. Betalains of phytochemical origin, known as potent radical-scavengers in chemical and biological systems, have been tested in a model of inflammation. New phytochemicals are continuously inspected for potential pharmacological applications. The red betanin and the yellow indicaxanthin have recently been isolated and characterized from Cactus Pear. Reactive Oxygen Species may be toxic or display a regulatory character. During the inflammation rea…
Antioxidant betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression.
It has been suggested that some pigments would have antioxidant properties and that their presence in dietary constituents would contribute to reduce the risk of oxidative stress–correlated diseases. Among others, inflammatory response depends on redox status and may implicate oxidative stress. Vascular endothelial cells are a direct target of oxidative stress in inflammation. We have tested the impact of the free radical scavenger and antioxidant properties of betalains from the prickle pear in an in vitro model of endothelial cells. Here we show the capacity of betalains to protect endothelium from cytokine- induced redox state alteration, through ICAM-1 inhibition. KEYWORDS: endothelial …