Castanopsis lamontii is traditionally used to prevent inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis and pharyngitis by residents in southwest China. However, little scientific evidence has been found to support this. In this research, the antibacterial activities of Castanopsis lamontii water extract (CLE) were assessed using the micro-dilution method. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of CLE were investigated in RAW264.7 cells. Key bioactive compounds in CLE were also explored. Results showed that CLE was capable of inhibiting the periodontitis pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and the pharyngitis pathogen β-hemolytic Streptococcus. It suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells via inactivating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Besides, it reduced oxidative stress-induced cell injury via scavenging reactive oxygen species. Chemical composition analysis revealed that CLE was rich in epicatechin and procyanidin B2. Further studies confirmed that epicatechin predominantly contributed to the antibacterial activities of CLE, while procyanidin B2 was mainly responsible for the anti-inflammatory activities of CLE. Both compounds contributed to the antioxidant activities of CLE. Acute oral toxicity tests proved that CLE was practically non-toxic. These results provide experimental evidences of the health-beneficial effects of CLE and may help promote the application of CLE in the food and health industries.
Keywords: Castanopsis lamontii; anti-bacteria; anti-inflammation; antioxidant; epicatechin; procyanidin B2.