Immuno-regulatory and anti-inflammatory actions of phycocyanin on Caco-2/U937 cells co-culture as a model of the intestinal barrier
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v9i7.611Abstract
Background: Phycocyanin, a photosynthetic pigment protein of cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis, has been used as a health or functional food because of its health promoting and medicinal effects such as its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects.
Methods: Under the co-culture system using a human colorectal cancer cell line, Caco-2 cells, and differentiated U937 macrophages in the presence of sodium butyrate (SB) and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), immune-regulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of phycocyanin were examined.
Results: Phycocyanin attenuated a certain damage in the tight junction of co-cultured Caco-2 cells induced by LPS in the presence of SB, and suppressed IL-6 and IL-8 and conversely enhanced TGF-β1 productions. Phagocytic and bactericidal abilities of the differentiated U937 cells were also regulated under the co-cultivation.
Conclusions: Phycocyanin contributes to protecting against inflammation and to regulating macrophages in the mucosal immune responses partly through release of cytokines in the presence of butyrate.
Keywords: Spirulina, phycocyanin, Caco-2 cells, U937 cells, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain the copyright of their articles and grant the Functional Food Center (FFC) and its journals the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, including commercial use, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. Authors may post and share their published work freely, provided that the original publication in this journal is acknowledged.
By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscripts are original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that they hold the necessary rights to grant this license. The Functional Food Center encourages open scientific exchange and allows derivative and extended works, provided attribution to the original publication is maintained.