Competitive ELISA-based screening of plant derivatives for the inhibition of VEGF family members interaction with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1

Planta Med. 2008 Mar;74(4):401-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1034346.

Abstract

The activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1, also known as Flt-1) is crucial in many physiological and pathological conditions, like angiogenesis, cancer, inflammation, hematopoiesis, bone marrow precursors/stem cells recruitment in tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis formation. Many recent reports indicate that molecules able to antagonize Flt-1 activity have gained a strong interest in the view of therapeutic approaches. In order to identify new compounds able to interfere in the Flt-1 recognition by VEGFs family members, we have developed a highly sensitive competitive ELISA-based screening to study plant extracts and derivatives. Several fractions of the N-butanol extract of Pteleopsis suberosa leaves and of the chloroform extract of Parinari campestris leaves demonstrated by a bioassay-guided fractionation an evident inhibition of VEGF-A or placental growth factor (PlGF) interaction with Flt-1, with an inhibition over 50 % in particular for the VEGF-A/Flt-1 interaction at a concentration of 100 microg/mL. This activity seems be due to the presence of a combination of compounds acting synergistically.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plants / chemistry*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1