indigo

[xcoldricex]

Cell differentiation and apoptosis of monocytic and promyelocytic leukemia cells (U-937 and HL-60) by tryptanthrin, an active ingredient of Polygonum tinctorium Lour.

Kimoto T, Hino K, Koya-Miyata S, Yamamoto Y, Takeuchi M, Nishizaki Y, Micallef MJ, Ushio S, Iwaki K, Ikeda M, Kurimoto M.

Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories Inc., Fujisaki Institute, Okayama, Japan.

Tryptanthrin, a bioactive ingredient of Polygonum tinctorium Lour., is a member of the Indigo plant family and has potent cytocidal effects on various human leukemia cells in vitro. At low concentrations, tryptanthrin enhanced the expression of cell differentiation (CD) markers in human monocytic (U-937) and promyelocytic (HL-60) leukemia cells indicative of differentiation to monocytes/macrophages. Furthermore, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reductive and alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase (NBE) activities were markedly increased after treatment. Tryptanthrin was more potent than dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at inducing U-937 cell differentiation into monocytes/macrophages. After treatment with higher concentrations of tryptanthrin for 24 h, cytoplasmic vacuolation and destruction of mitochondria were observed. The leukemia cells died via apoptosis 48 h after treatment. Cytoplasmic vacuolation and apoptotic changes correlated with the dysfunction of mitochondria. Electron microscopic observations revealed marked swelling and destruction of mitochondria after exposure of the leukemia cells to tryptanthrin. Exposure to tryptanthrin enhanced Fas-induced apoptosis and increased caspase-3 activity before induction of apoptosis. These results show that low concentrations of tryptanthrin can induce differentiation of leukemia cells but higher concentrations will kill leukemia cells through apoptosis, possibly through a caspase-3/Fas antigen pathway.

PMID: 11422788 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[xcoldricex]

Antibacterial action of tryptanthrin and kaempferol, isolated from the indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.), against Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils.

Kataoka M, Hirata K, Kunikata T, Ushio S, Iwaki K, Ohashi K, Ikeda M, Kurimoto M.

Fujisaki Institute, Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Okayama, Japan.

We evaluated the effect of tryptanthrin and kaempferol, both isolated from Polygonum tinctorium Lour., against Helicobacter pylori colony formation in vitro and in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils. H. pylori suspension was mixed with solution of tryptanthrin and/or kaempferol and placed onto agar plates. These plates were incubated at 37 degrees C, under 10% CO2 for 5 days, and the H. pylori colonies were counted. For the in vivo experiment, Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with H. pylori ATCC 43504 orally. After 4 weeks, the infected gerbils were given tryptanthrin and/or kaempferol, administered orally, twice a day for 10 days. The animals were killed and the number of live H. pylori in their stomachs was determined. In vitro both tryptanthrin and kaempferol significantly decreased the numbers of H. pylori colonies a dose-dependent manner. An additive effect on colony formation was observed with the combined use. In the in vivo experiment, oral administration of tryptanthrin and/or kaempferol significantly decreased the numbers of colonies in the gerbils' stomachs. We concluded that tryptanthrin and kaempferol were effective against H. pylori in vivo.

PMID: 11211212 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[xcoldricex]

Promoting effect of kaempferol on the differentiation and mineralization of murine pre-osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1.

Miyake M, Arai N, Ushio S, Iwaki K, Ikeda M, Kurimoto M.

Fujisaki Institute, Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories Inc.. 675 Fujisaki, Okayama 702-8006, Japan. [email protected]

A number of agents have been reported to influence osteoblastic differentiation and to prevent and treat bone loss. We found that kaempferol, a flavonoid identified in extracts of the medicinal plant, Polygonum tinctorium. Lour, had stimulatory effects on the differentiation and mineralization of the murine pre-osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3-E1. After enhancing the alkaline phosphatase activity, significant augmentation of calcification by kaempferol was observed between concentrations of 10 and 20 microM, without any marked effect on cell proliferation. When kaempferol was combined with ipriflavone, which is clinically applied to treat bone loss, calcification was synergistically augmented, suggesting that these two flavonoids may have different mechanisms of action. These results suggest that kaempferol may be a promising agent for the prevention or treatment of bone loss, especially when combined with ipriflavone.

PMID: 12843643 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[xcoldricex]

Prevention of azoxymethane-induced intestinal tumors by a crude ethyl acetate-extract and tryptanthrin extracted from Polygonum tinctorium Lour.

Koya-Miyata S, Kimoto T, Micallef MJ, Hino K, Taniguchi M, Ushio S, Iwaki K, Ikeda M, Kurimoto M.

Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories Inc., Fujisaki Institute, Okayama, Japan. [email protected]

The effect of a crude ethyl acetate (AcOEt)-extract and tryptanthrin extracted from the Indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced intestinal tumors was examined in F344 rats. The rats were given subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of either AOM (15 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) once a week for 3 weeks to induce atypical crypt foci (ACF) as a known cancer precursor, or AOM (7.5 mg/kg b.w.) once a week for 10 weeks to induce intestinal tumors. The rats were also administered the AcOEt-extract (500 mg/kg b.w.) or tryptanthrin (50 mg/kg b.w.) orally, 5 days a week, for 7 or 30 weeks, starting two days before the first administration of AOM. All rats were killed 4 or 20 weeks after the last treatment. In the short-term experiment, the incidence of ACE and atypical crypts (AC) in the groups receiving the AcOEt-extract and tryptanthrin was significantly lower than in the control group. In the tumor-inducing experiment, intestinal tumor incidence in the tryptanthrin group was lower than in the AOM-control group (5% versus 26%), and small intestine tumor incidence in the AcOEt-extract and tryptanthrin groups were lower than in the AOM-control group (0% and 0% versus 23%). These results show that the AcOEt-extract of Indigo and tryptanthrin have cancer chemopreventive activity.

PMID: 11848486 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[minya]

I think you've been doing too much medschool studying.

[xcoldricex]

Indirubin inhibits inflammatory reactions in delayed-type hypersensitivity.

Kunikata T, Tatefuji T, Aga H, Iwaki K, Ikeda M, Kurimoto M.

Fujisaki Institute, Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc., 675-1, Okayama 702-8006, Fujisaki, Japan. [email protected]

Polygonum tinctorium Lour. (P. tinctorium) is known to have the ability to suppress inflammation. We attempted to isolate the active compounds from P. tinctorium based on their inhibitory effects on the production of interferon-gamma, which is a well-known inflammatory cytokine. We thus isolated indirubin, an isomer of indigo. Indirubin exerted its inhibitory effects not only on interferon-gamma production by human myelomonocytic HBL-38 cells but also on interferon-gamma and interleukin-6 production by murine splenocytes with no influence on the proliferation of either cells. Because of its inhibitory activity on interferon-gamma production, we further investigated the effects of indirubin on 2,4, 6-trinitro-l-chlorobenzene (TNCB)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity as a representative inflammatory reaction. When injected intraperitoneally, indirubin significantly inhibited the ear swelling of TNCB-elicited mice. The amount of interferon-gamma in the culture supernatants of elicited mouse lymphocytes was inhibited by indirubin treatment. These results suggest that indirubin is a compound with anti-inflammatory effects.

PMID: 11134660 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[xcoldricex]

so this is why the japanese know so much about indigo! this is pretty damn cool though- indigo is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorgenic, and more!

[Ott]

so is that why I've been wearing the same jeans for the past year and I don't have scabies?

[__3xL]

you are smoking some good stuff x ..

That isht actually caught your interest ?

:-|

[xcoldricex]

you are smoking some good stuff x ..

i wish....

[Corbin Law]

so how about a basic translation for those of us who speak american, not english.

from waht i saw out of that.

hardcore indigo prevents leukemia

but really fucking interesting none the less.

[tweeds]

but this is only if you ingest indigo, right? i mean...right?

[xcoldricex]

no if you read carefully, it clearly states wearing indigo imbues you with these superpowers.

[tweeds]

no way!

i mean, no way!

no way!

shit...i feel like taking of my jeans would be akin to shearing samson's beard now.

[dnarnya]

yea but what does black denim do?

[ringring]

so this is why the japanese know so much about indigo! this is pretty damn cool though- indigo is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorgenic, and more!

Not just the Japanese

Indigo has long been used as medicine in pretty much any culture and continent that has a history of it's cultivation. ie. Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Arab, East Africa, Central South America (Aztec), Mexico, Indonesia, in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.

Throughout all these cultures there's a tradition of plant indigo being used as an antiseptic. And it's still used by modern western herbalists to treat bacterial infections, wounds and ulcers.

Many cultures took indigo much further than simple wound healing, using it as treatment for skin conditions, food poisoning, chickenpox, jaundice, meningitis, epilepsy and in the case of TCM (Trad Chinese Medicine), the treatment of certain cancers such as Leukemia.

For the latter, Japan is just one country that has investigated the anti-cancer properties of indirubin. In 1999 a study of indirubin's effect on leukemia was published in the journal, Nature Cell Biology, carried out by the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany. (Germany continues to have a strong herbalist tradition - with herbal medicine going hand-in-hand with 'modern' drugs - I'm no expert, but I believe herbalism is standard study in German medical schools).

[__3xL]

Makes sense - blood is red - indigo is blue - opposites being in a seperate universal order / state ..

wtf ever I just said - you guys know I mean ...

[synthi]

Nice knowledge drop there Ringring

[xcoldricex]

Not just the Japanese

haha yeah, most of the recent articles are coming out of japan which i thought was proper for this forum . welcome back ringring!

[rnrswitch]

I knew all of this was true. I ran an "experiment." I had unprotected sex with dirty tramps. with my jeans still on, around my ankles, and completely off. I found that I didn't contract HIV or any sexually transmitted disease with the jeans completely on, but as the jeans began to come off I was more susceptible. So I only kinda got AIDS with jeans below the knees, but really got it with my jeans completely off. Suprisingly I found that the jeans were extremely resilient to herpes. My jeans just had to be within a 15 yard radius of where I was putting it to the broad and I was as safe as a hindu cow. My next experiment will be with natural indigo... I bet that shit will really work. I'll report back later.

[viv1984viv]

this is great, empirical knowledge. All ways good to know the history of the stuff I fetishise. I vaguely remember denim being used as clothing for prisoners, cant remember if it was in denime france or in japan, anyhow, is this anti-bacterial property the reason for jeans being blue? Or just a conveinient coincidence?

Great input coldrice and ringring.

[mizanation]

this is great "news". now i know why i always feel better in blue jeans.

thanks coldrice and ringring.

[myjuansays]

i love the smell of indigo.. or is that the scent of indigo mixed with 45rpm sandlewood. ahhh..

[Geowu]

It says indigo plant, but can the properties be considered the same when it is synthetic indigo? I think the plant indigo can also repel insects, but I wonder if the synthetic has the same effect?

[shinobi2000]

I knew all of this was true. I ran an "experiment." I had unprotected sex with dirty tramps. with my jeans still on, around my ankles, and completely off. I found that I didn't contract HIV or any sexually transmitted disease with the jeans completely on, but as the jeans began to come off I was more susceptible. So I only kinda got AIDS with jeans below the knees, but really got it with my jeans completely off. Suprisingly I found that the jeans were extremely resilient to herpes. My jeans just had to be within a 15 yard radius of where I was putting it to the broad and I was as safe as a hindu cow. My next experiment will be with natural indigo... I bet that shit will really work. I'll report back later.

oh god! I just came back from a long night of studying pharmacology and this absolutely cracked me up!! Thanks man!

[poly800rock]

It says indigo plant, but can the properties be considered the same when it is synthetic indigo? I think the plant indigo can also repel insects, but I wonder if the synthetic has the same effect?

does synthetic heroin still have similar effects to regular heroin?

[Geowu]

well, it depends if they're talking about indigo molecule per se or the indigo plants

[malsponge]

Yea, we're not walking around wearing the plants themselves, lol. Interesting though, because I am studying H. Pylori in the lab.

[lilbucu]

heheh, pubmed?