A Comparative In Vitro Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a <i>Tisochrysis lutea</i> Extract and Fucoxanthin

• Main Authors: Elisabetta Bigagli, Mario D’Ambrosio, Lorenzo Cinci, Alberto Niccolai, Natascia Biondi, Liliana Rodolfi, Luana Beatriz Dos Santos Nascimiento, Mario R. Tredici, Cristina Luceri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Marine Drugs
• Subjects: microalgae; <i>Tisochrysis lutea</i>; fucoxanthin; inflammation; RAW 264.7; microRNA
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/6/334

In this study, we compared the effects of a <i>Tisochrysis lutea</i> <i>(T. lutea)</i> F&M-M36 methanolic extract with those of fucoxanthin (FX) at equivalent concentration, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 methanolic extract contained 4.7 mg of FX and 6.22 mg of gallic acid equivalents of phenols per gram. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of simple phenolic acid derivatives. The <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 extract exhibited a potent and concentration-dependent inhibitory activity against COX-2 dependent PGE2 production compared to FX alone. Compared to LPS, <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 extract and FX reduced the expression of IL-6 and of Arg1 and enhanced that of IL-10 and of HO-1; <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 extract also significantly abated the expression of NLRP3, enhanced mir-223 expression and reduced that of mir-146b, compared to LPS (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings indicate that <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 methanolic extract has a peculiar anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2/PGE2 and NLRP3/mir-223 that might be attributable to the known anti-inflammatory effects of simple phenolic compounds found in the extract that may synergize with FX. Our data suggest that <i>T. lutea</i> F&M-M36 may serve as a source of anti-inflammatory compounds to be further evaluated in in vivo models of inflammation.