Evaluation of Inhibitory Effects of Vegetables and Herbs on Hyaluronidase and ldentification of Rosmarinic Acid as a Hyaluronidase Inhibitor in Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.)

Abstract

The inhibitory effects of 46 vegetable and herb extracts on hyaluronidase (EC 3.2.1.35), which is known to be related to inflammation and involved in migration of tumor cells, were examined. Twenty-two extracts showed inhibitory activity, and the extracts of 8 Labiatae plants and borage demonstrated potent inhibition of hyaluronidase. The hyaluronidase-inhibitory compound was isolated from the MeOH extract of leaves of lemon balm, which showed the strongest inhibition among them, by a combination of partition between solvents, Amberlite XAD-7 column chromatography and ODS-HPLC. Mostly on the basis of spectrometric techniques, the hyaluronidase inhibitor in lemon balm was identified with rosmarinic acid.