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 reaction, originated in the activation of vascular endothelial cells, an enhanced oxidant tone is responsible for endothelial dysfunction. We have stimulated Human Vascular Endothelial Cordon cells (HUVEC) with the proinflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor- (TNF-). We have measured the expression of Intracellular Adhesion Molecul-1 (ICAM-1) devoted to the recruitment of activated leukocytes, finalized to tissue survey or defense from microorganisms. We show that both betanin and indicaxanthin are able to slightly inhibit ICAM-1 expression. Ongoing experiments are investigating the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the cyto-protection effect of betalains. Our date demonstrate that betalains, in addition to their anti-oxidant effect, can also act as modulators of adhesive molecules expression in endothelial cells. The combination of these properties could be of pharmacological interest in pathologies characterized by tissue degeneration due to endothelial dysfunctions such atherosclerosis, ischemia and stroke.