Anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity of Gentiana lutea root extract

Gentiana lutea roots have been widely used in the traditional medicine, especially for their stomachic properties. In this study, the effect of G. lutea root methanol extract on SH-SY5Y cell survival and on anti-proliferative activity of pro-apoptotic agents was evaluated. In neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y, the extract did not exhibit any cytotoxic activity, but protected cells from vinblastine-induced apoptosis. In the combined treatment with 200 µg/ml extract plus 0.1 µM vinblastine, extract significantly increased cell survival, reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells and decreased caspase-3 activity if compared with the vinblastine alone treatment. The anti-apoptotic activity of the extract was associated to the down-regulation of Sirt-1 protein and to the increase of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression and intracellular GSH levels. Since the apoptosis modulation was evidenced on a neuroblastoma cell line, G. lutea extract could have a promising potential as a neuroprotective agent. Moreover, G. lutea root extract exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, since it inhibited LPS-induced expression of TNF-α in macrophage RAW264.7 cells.