本研究目的在探討蓮子心富含酚類萃取物，對BALB/c雌鼠腹腔巨噬細胞分泌促發炎及抗發炎細胞激素的影響。將蓮子心先以100℃ 熱水萃取，萃取液再經酒精沉澱，取其上清液，此上清液進行減壓濃縮後冷凍乾燥，所得樣品即為蓮子心富含酚類萃取物。將不同濃度樣品與BALB/c雌鼠初代腹腔巨噬細胞共同培養48小時後，再以3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyl)-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) 法測定細胞存活率，顯示樣品在31.3~250μg/mL濃度範圍內，對巨噬細胞存活率無顯著影響，取樣品非毒性劑量範圍內的不同濃度，在有或無內毒素脂多醣(lipopolysaccharide)存在下，與巨噬細胞共同培養，取細胞培養上清液，分析其抗發炎細胞激素介白質(interleukin, IL)-10及促發炎細胞激素IL-1β、IL-6及腫瘤壞死因子-α(tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNF-α) 之變化。結果顯示，單獨添加樣品，濃度在31.3~250 μg/mL內，巨噬細胞促發炎 (TNF-α) / 抗發炎 (IL-10) 細胞激素分泌比值，與對照組比較均顯著降低；腹腔巨噬細胞在脂多醣刺激後，再添加樣品(濃度31.3~250 μg/mL)，促發炎細胞激素IL-1β及TNF-α分泌量顯著被抑制，分析其抗發炎/促發炎細胞激素比值，於添加濃度在125 μg/mL時，IL-10/IL-6及IL-10/TNF-α，與對照組比較顯著增加。綜合本試驗結果發現，蓮子心富含酚類萃取物在適當濃度下，無論在有、無脂多醣刺激下，均能調節初代腹腔巨噬細胞抗發炎及促發炎細胞激素之分泌，具有抗發炎之潛力。

This study attempted to investigate the effects of phenolics-richextracts from lotus plumule (PELP) on secretion of the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines using peritoneal macrophages from female BALB/c mice. To obtain PELP, lotus plumule was first extracted using 100℃ hot water. The hot water extracts were then treated with alcohol to precipitate
polysaccharides. Alcohol was removed from the supernatant fraction using a rotary evaporator. Finally, the evaporated sample was freeze dried to obtain PELP. To avoid cytotoxic effects of PELP, different concentrations of PELP were administered to peritoneal macrophages for 48 hours and the cell viability was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5
diphenyl)-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The results showed that PELP administered alone at the concentration from 31.3 to 250 μg/mL did not significantly affect the cell viability. The non-cytotoxic doses of PELP were selected to treat peritoneal macrophages in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The cell culture supernatant was taken to assess cytokine levels, including an anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The results showed that PELP administered
alone significantly decreased the secretion ratios of TNF-α/IL-10
cytokines by peritoneal macrophages.PELP significantly inhibited IL-1β and TNF-α secretions by LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. Taken
together, PELP administrations at appropriate concentrations modulated the secretion profiles of anti- and proinflammatory cytokines by peritoneal macrophages in the absence or presence of LPS, suggesting that PELP has anti-inflammation potential in vitro.