Potent anti-inflammatory activity of pheophytin a derived from edible green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera (Sujiao-nori)

Recently, a chlorophyll-related compound, pheophytin a, has been identified from an edible green alga, Enteromorpha prolifera (Sujiao-nori in Japanese) as a potent suppressive substance against genotoxin-induced umu C gene expression in a tester bacteria (Okai and Higashi-Okai, 1997, J. Sci. Food Agricul. 71, 531-535). In the present study, anti-inflammatory effects of pheophytin a from Enteromorpha prolifera have been analyzed using in vitro and in vivo experiments. 1. Pheophytin a suppressed the production of superoxide anion (O2-) in mouse macrophages induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) using the cytochrome C reduction method. 2. Pheophytin a caused a suppressive effect against formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, (FMLP)-induced chemotaxis of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in Boyden's chamber experiment. 3. Pheophytin a exhibited a significant suppression against TPA-induced inflammatory reaction such as edema formation in BALB/c mouse ear. These results suggest that pheophytin a from Enteromorpha prolifera has a potent anti-inflammatory activity.