Inhibition of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase by foods
1997
Sekiya, K. (Shikoku National Agricultural Experiment Station, Zentsuji, Kagawa (Japan))
It is well known that metabolites in the arachidonic acid cascade play very important physiological roles in humans. Imbalance or overproduction of these metabolites is involved in many kinds of diseases. In plantlets, cyclooxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase catalyze the initial reaction for the formation of arachidonic acid metabolites. The cyclooxygenase-mediated production of thromboxane A2 induced platelet aggregation, and 12-lipoxygenase reaction is involved in atherosclerotic processes and allergic responses. In leukocytes, 5-lipoxygenase-mediated metabolites mediate allergic and inflammatory responses. Therefore, an inhibitor of the enzymes may act as a drug for the treatment of thrombosis, atherosclerosis, allergy and inflammation. In the present study, about 90 kinds of food extracts were investigated for their inhibitory activities on the enzymes. Tea leaf, dried laver, sea tangle, chinese cabbage and others plants inhibited the cyclooxygenase activity. Spinach, olive, tea leaf, japanese butterbur, onion and others inhibited the 12-lipoxygenase, while greenpeas, okra, sweet pepper, miso (sweet type), olive, hijiki (a kind of brown algae), pumpkin and others inhibited the 5-lipoxygenase. These results suggest that the ingestion of these foods may affect the arachidonic acid cascade. The inhibitory action of foods may provide useful data for food therapy, although the active principle(s) remains to be identified. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the role of foods in human health
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