We selected two metabolites of ellagic acid, urolithins A and B, to perform anti-inflammatory bioassays with macrophages challenged with LPS. Both, urolithins A and B, are metabolized by gut microflora from hydrolizable tannins as those present in pecans. Results indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reduced in an early stage (3 h) by urolithin A and in a late stage (24 h) by both urolithins A and B, while ellagic acid showed no effect. Furthermore, urolithin A showed a reduction in NO production and levels of TNF-a, IL 1-b and prostaglandin PGE2. Urolithin B showed similar trend on those same markers but did not affect NO production. In general, ellagic acid did not show an anti-inflammatory effect in macrophages. We used DPI to reduce ROS production by NADPH oxidase and the corresponding effects in inflammatory markers. Discussion of mode of action by which urolithins A and B exert their anti-inflammatory properties will be based on antioxidant (AOX) and AOX-independent mechanisms.

Anti-inflammatory properties of urolithins A and B in macrophages

246th National Meeting (2013)

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