Ampelopsin Manufacturer: Ampelopsin a component of pharmaceutical unlimited potential

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects

For centuries, the original plant extract Ampelopsin has been used to relieve antimicrobial agents as inflammatory diseases. Rhodopsin extract has a strong inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Further, rhodopsin also sensitive to inhibition of other pathogenic microorganisms, such as Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium and transport streptavidin avidin. Further, rhodopsin can be suppressed acute or subacute inflammation.

Anti-tumor activity

Currently, people antitumor activity in cell and animal studies of rhodopsin given a lot of attention. By in vitro and in vivo studies confirm the anti-metastatic effect Ampelopsin melanoma and prostate cancer. Further, there is reported that, rhodopsin may be human hepatocellular carcinoma cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to inhibit angiogenesis by in vitro inhibition. Also it reported similar strong inhibitory effect on the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. These reports show that the rhodopsin by adjusting a variety of signal transduction pathways which exert anti-tumor effects, including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, cell growth inhibition and metastasis inhibition of various cellular level.

Hepatoprotective function
Ampelopsin F and G isolated from Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Var. hancei can suppress carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4) or galactosamine-induced liver injury in rats. Ampelopsin E and cis-ampelopsin E exert an obvious inhibitory effect on hepatitis virus. In galactosamine, d-galactosamine and alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) induced acute liver injury models, the administration of ampelopsin can inhibit the activity of serum transaminases such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alleviate pathological damage of liver tissues. Ampelopsin can also reduce the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) in CCl4-induced liver injury, and increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. A diet containing ethanolic extract (1%) or ampelopsin (0.1%) can significantly suppress the increase of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ALT, AST and α-tocopherol levels in rats with d-galactosamine-induced liver injury. In addition, ampelopsin also has a protective effect against CCl4, d-galactosamine and LPS-induced liver cell damage in mice. Ampelopsin mainly inhibits the collagen formation of hepatic M cells. Following hepatic M cell transplantation in cultured rat liver tissues, collagen fibers are easily produced. However, ampelopsin can inhibit the formation of new collagen fibers, and further disperse old collagen fibers into small micro-blocks. The hepatoprotective function of ampelopsin may therefore provide a promising therapeutic strategy for hepatitis B.

Anti-hypertension effect
In animal experiments, ampelopsin has been shown to antagonize norepinephrine (NE) and high K+-induced contraction of rabbit aorta, suggesting that ampelopsin can play a blockage role in intestinal smooth muscle and aortic α-receptor. Further studies have confirmed that ampelopsin can significantly inhibit the contractions associated with Ca2+ release caused by NE. However, ampelopsin inhibitory effects on extracellular Ca2+ release are observed only at higher concentrations. These findings suggest that ampelopsin may function as an anti-hypertension drug by selectively blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels (PDC).

Regulation of plasma lipids and blood glucose
An anti-atherosclerotic effect of ampelopsin has also been reported. The intragastric administration of Ampelsis grossedentata reduces the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), and increases serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in rats, indicating a hypocholesterolemic effect of ampelopsin. In accordance with these findings, a drink containing Ampelsis grossedentata at a dose of 9 g/day was administered to 100 patients with primary hyperlipidemia, resulting in quantifiable reductions in TC, TG and plasma lipid by 42%, 72% and 28% after 45 days administration, respectively. In addition, ampelopsin can significantly increase the content of serum SOD, and reduce the content of MDA, therefore, ampelopsin can prevent the invasion of vascular smooth muscle cells and matrix degradation, which correspondingly contributes to protective effects against atherosclerosis and cancer.

Neuroprotective effect
Oxidative stress is believed to be a primary factor in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ROS-associated with oxidative stress can induce cell apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction and damage to lipids, proteins and DNA. Therefore, antioxidants have gained tremendous attention as promising therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. Rattan tea is a popular beverage worldwide, especially in China and other Asian countries. Ampelopsin in Rattan tea is an antioxidant flavonoid that can enhance cellular antioxidant defenses through activation of ERK and Akt signaling pathways, induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression and protect PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis. In sodium pentobarbital-induced mouse hypnosis experiments, ampelopsin can significantly extend the incubation period caused by sodium pentobarbital, reduce the length of time associated with hypnotic effects and significantly reduce ethanol-induced inebriation reaction. This mechanism may be associated with increased activity of liver microsomal enzyme and accelerated metabolism of alcohol or sodium pentobarbital. Therefore, ampelopsin may also have a novel function as a neuroprotectant in neurodegenerative conditions.

Antioxidant effect
ROS is implicated in many pathogenic processes including inflammation and cancer. Detoxification of ROS by antioxidants provides a measure of protection against these diseases, therefore natural plant components, especially antioxidants, are of great interest. Ampelopsin possesses excellent antioxidant activity due to its similarity with tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) . It is well known that free radicals can induce lipid oxidation in biomembranes, and damage of the cell membrane is the basis for tissue damage and for the pathological processes of many diseases. Similarly, exogenous damage is also strongly correlated with free radical reactions. Ampelopsin has previously demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect on H2O2-induced oxidative damage in cell-free systems including red blood cells and in vitro cell cultures. This is due to the scavenging of free radicals by ampelopsin, which reduces radical-induced lipid peroxidation of cell membranes and inhibits MDA generation. Similarly, ampelopsin has been reported to significantly inhibit superoxide anion radical activity and lipid peroxidation of liver homogenate and mitochondria during stimulation of auto-oxidation and induced-oxidation, and the inhibitory effect of ampelopsin on free radicals and lipid peroxidation is concentration-dependent. Therefore, ampelopsin exhibits favorable antioxidant activity that may mitigate cellular oxidative stress and stimulate the potential of cellular vitality, thus accomplishing the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other diseases.

Conclusion
Naturally occurring substances derived from diets or dietary supplements such as Rattan tea provide a new approach for the prevention or therapeutic treatment of chronic diseases. Ampelopsin, as the predominant compound in Rattan tea, possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity whereby it can inhibit the activation of NF-κB and PI3K/Akt pathways, and inhibit oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and attenuating lipid oxidation as well as reducing ROS levels. Furthermore, ampelopsin appears to both reduce the risk of cancer and regulate blood glucose and lipids, although the underlying mechanisms associated with the capabilities remain to be further explored. Future in vitro experimental studies and in vivo clinical studies should focus on not only the understanding these mechanisms, but also the development of ampelopsin as a chemopreventive agent to treat a wide range of diseases.