Hepatoprotective phytocompounds from Cryptomeria japonica are potent modulators of inflammatory mediators

Cryptomeria japonica is an important plantation conifer tree in Asia. This study aimed to characterize the anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities of the phytocompounds from C japonica wood on LPS- or TPA-induced activation of proinflammatory mediators and CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice. A CJH7-3 fraction was purified from C japonica extracts following bioactivity-guided fractionation, and it exhibited significant activities on inhibition of NO production and iNOS expression as well as up-regulating HO-1 expression in LPS-stimulated macrophages. CJH7-2 also potently inhibits COX-2 enzymatic activity (IC50 = 5 mu g/mL) and TPA-induced COX-2 protein expression in mouse skin (1 mg/200 mu L/site). CJH7-2 (10 mg/kg BW) can prevent CC14-induced liver injury and aminotransferases activities in mice. Chemical fingerprinting analysis showed that terpenes are the major bioactive compounds in the CJH7-2 fraction. This is the first stud), to demonstrate that chemical constituents from the wood extract of C japonica possess anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo that may play a role in hepatoprotection. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.