BACKGROUND

The crude drug "kaki-yô" is a traditional medicine used in Japan as a hypotensive drug.

METHODS

The effect of five flavonoid compounds isolated from the leaves of Diospyros kaki was investigated on the stimulus-induced superoxide generation and phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of protein in human neutrophils. The five compounds examined were kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TR), kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (AS), isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (IS), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside (HY), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(6-->1)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (RU).

RESULTS

When the cells were preincubated with these five compounds, the superoxide generation induced by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was significantly suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner. The arachidonic acid (AA)-induced superoxide generation was suppressed by TR, AS, HY and RU. On the other hand, the superoxide generation was weakly enhanced by IS in low concentration (5-20 micromol/l), but was suppressed in high concentration (50 micromol/l). The superoxide generation induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) suppressed the TR, IS, HY and RU, but AS gave no effect. When the cells were incubated with fMLP in the presence of TR, IS and RU, fMLP-induced tyrosyl phosphorylation of 45-kDa proteins of the cells was dose-dependently suppressed in parallel to the suppression of fMLP-induced superoxide generation. These five flavonoids showed almost no hemolytic effect even at a concentration of 500 micromol/l.

CONCLUSIONS

Flavonoid compounds suppressed stimulus-induced superoxide generation and tyrosyl phosphorylation and may have pharmaceutical application.