(Jacob, sounds like a potentially excellent ingredient for your customized topical from Elsom... Also, the fact that they emphasize that it's a powerful anti-inflammatory in the skin may make this a worthwhile ingredient to add to products that have the potential to cause some irritation (like minox-containing ones for instance)).
Anti-inflammatory activity in skin by biomimetic of Evodia rutaecarpa extract from traditional Chinese medicine
Daniel B. Yarosha, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Jason W. Galvinb, Stephanie L. Naya, Arely V. Peaa, Matthew T. Canninga and David A. Browna
aAGI Dermatics, 205 Buffalo Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520, United States
bDepartment of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States
Received 3 August 2005; revised 15 November 2005; accepted 15 December 2005. Available online 19 January 2006.
Summary
Background
Wu-Zhu-Yu, is an extract prepared from the small berry fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa and is reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptic activity. Methyl nicotinate (MN) is known to induce the release of PGD2 resulting in localized erythema within 30 min after topical application to human skin.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to determine if a defined biomimetic mixture of components of Evodia fruit extract inhibit inflammation in human cells and skin.
Methods
In order to control the potency of the test article, we prepared a defined biomimetic mixture of synthetic and natural forms of the active components of Evodia fruit extract, containing rutaecarpine, dehydroevodiamine, and evodin. This was tested for anti-inflammatory activity in UVB-irradiated cultured cells and in the MN model of micro-inflammation in human skin.
Results
This Evodia biomimetic mixture was a potent inhibitor of UVB-induced PGE2 released by keratinocytes in culture. We found that MN also induces release of nitric oxide from cultured keratinocytes and microvascular endothelial cells. Twice daily application of 0.11% Evodia biomimetic mixture for 2 weeks significantly inhibited erythema after a MN challenge. A single application of 1% Evodia biomimetic mixture also significantly inhibited MN-induced erythema when applied at 60 min before, or within 5 min after MN exposure. The Evodia biomimetic mixture was significantly more effective at inhibiting erythema than bisabolol, the active component of chamomile.
Conclusions
These results demonstrate that compounds found in E. rutaecarpa (including the indole quinazoline alkaloids) have powerful anti-inflammatory activity when applied topically to human skin.
Keywords: Evodia rutaecarpa; Biomimetic; Methyl nicotinate; Prostaglandin; Nitric oxide; Inflammation; Skin
Abbreviations: BHT, butylated hydroxytoluene; COX-2, cyclooxygenase-2; HMVEC, human microvascular endothelial cells; MN, methyl nicotinate; NHEK, normal human epidermal keratinocytes; NO, nitric oxide; PGD2, prostaglandin D2; PGE2, prostaglandin E2; UVB, ultraviolet B
