Anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol and oligostilbenes from vitis thunbergii var. taiwaniana against lipopolysaccharide-induced arthritis

Vitis thunbergii Sieb. and Zucc. var. taiwaniana Lu is an endemic plant in Taiwan used as a dietary supplement for bone health. In this study, human chondrocytes were induced to produce COX-2, MMP-3, -13, and PGE2 by LPS. An 18F-FDG microPET imaging system was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory arthritic effects in vivo. Six stilbenes, resveratrol (1), (+)-μ-viniferin (2), ampelopsin C (3), ampelopsin A (4), (-)-vitisin B (5), and (+)-vitisin A (6), were isolated from the stem part of V. thunbergii, which displayed the strongest PGE2 inhibition. Among these compounds, 1 significantly decreased COX-2 activity, PGE2, MMP-3, and -13 production in vitro, and 18F-FDG uptake and serum PGE2 in rabbits in vivo. Anti-inflammatory effects were enhanced through the combined usage of 1 and other oligostilbenes. Taken together, the synergistic effects of 1 and oligostilbenes resulted in stem part extracts with lower 1 content displaying the better anti-inflammatory arthritis effects.