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Chondroprotective potential of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. in experimentally induced cartilage degradation in the explants culture model

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Abstract

Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. (P. amarus) has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammation and antiarthritis properties leading to our interest to examine its beneficial effect in osteoarthritis. Thus, this study aimed to explore the chondroprotective potential of P. amarus extract (PAE) and its major compounds, phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin, in a cartilage explant model. Various concentrations of P. amarus extract, phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin, were treated on porcine articular cartilage explants induced with 25 ng/ml of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). After 4 days of incubation, the culture medium was measured for the release of sulfate glycosaminoglycans (s-GAGs) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity by DMMB binding assay and zymography, respectively. The explant tissues were analyzed for the remaining of uronic acid content by colorimetric assay and stained with safranin-O for investigation of proteoglycan content. Cell viability of this model was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Chondroprotective potential of PAE and the major components against IL-1β-induced cartilage explant degradation were revealed by the decreased s-GAGs level and MMP-2 activity in culture medium consistent with an increase in uronic acid and proteoglycan contents in the explants when compared to the IL-1β treatment. These results agreed with those of diacerein and sesamin which used as positive controls. In addition, better chondroprotective activities of P. amarus crude extracts than those of the purified components were disclosed in this study. Hence, this is a pioneering study presenting the chondroprotective potential of PAE which may augment its application for therapeutic use as an antiarthritic agent.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the National Research Council of Thailand (Government Budgeting via Chiang Mai University; 2015) and Thailand Excellence Center for Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. We also thank to the National Research University Project under Thailand’s Office of the Higher Education Commission. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ampai Panthong in editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Waranee Pradit & Siriwadee Chomdej

  2. Department of Veterinary Bioscience and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50100, Thailand

    Korakot Nganvongpanit

  3. Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Siriwadee Chomdej & Korakot Nganvongpanit

  4. Thailand Excellence Centre for Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells, Department of Biochemistry and the Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand

    Siriwan Ongchai

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  1. Waranee Pradit
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Correspondence to Siriwan Ongchai.

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Editor: T. Okamoto

Waranee Pradit and Siriwadee Chomdej contributed equally to this work

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Pradit, W., Chomdej, S., Nganvongpanit, K. et al. Chondroprotective potential of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. in experimentally induced cartilage degradation in the explants culture model. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 51, 336–344 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-014-9846-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-014-9846-y

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