Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Review Article

Effect of Crataegus Usage in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach

Table 2

Compounds derived from Crataegus in vitro cardiovascular effects.


Target	Compounds	Cell/tissues	Effect	References

Antioxidant effect	AEC	Mitochondria from rat heart	Mitochondrial lipid peroxidative damage;	Jayalakshim et al., 2006 [29]
			Kreb’s cycle enzymes;
	CE	Mitochondria from rat heart	Mitochondrial membrane potential;	Bernatoniene et al., 2009 [30]
			H₂O₂ production;
			Maximal respiration;
			Mitochondrial respiratory chain;

Positive inotropic effect	Two alcohol extracts	Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes	Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase;	Rodriguez et al., 2008 [32]
			Calcium transport;

Anti-inflammatory effect	Water fraction from hawthorn fruit	LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells	COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression;	Li and Wang, 2011 [36]
	Hawthorn extract	Human blood neutrophils	Superoxide anion generation;	Dalli et al., 2008 [38]
			Elastase release;
			Chemotactic migration;
			Leukotriene B4 production;
			TNF-α and IL-8;
			Intracellular calcium signal;
	Triterpene fraction isolated from Crataegus	Peritoneal exudates	Peritoneal leucocyte infiltration Phospholipase A2;	Ahumada et al., 1997 [39]

Vasodilating effect	WS 1442	HCAEC	eNOS phosphorylation;	Brixuis et al., 2006 [50]
	WS 1442	Porcine coronary artery endothelial cells	Src/PI3-kinase/Akt-dependent phosphorylation of eNOS;	Anselm et al., 2009 [51]
	Hawthorn extract	VSMCs	ATP-dependent K+-channel;	Waldron and Cole, 1999 [53]
			Ca²⁺-dependent K⁺-channel;
	WS 144	Human venous blood cell	rbcNOS and NO-formation;	Rieckeheer et al., 2011 [55]

Endothelial protection	WS 1442	HUVECs	Endothelial permeability;	Bubik et al., 2012 [61]
			Calcium/PKC/Rho A signaling pathway;
			cAMP/Epac1/Rap1 pathway;
	WS 1442	HUVECs	Hyperpermeability-associated rise of Ca²⁺_i;	Elisabeth et al., 2012 [62]
			SERCA and IP pathway;

Reduction of smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation	WS 1442	Rat aortic VSMCs	VSMC migration and proliferation;	Fürst et al., 2010 [65]
			VSMC DNA synthesis;
			PDGFR-β kinase activity;
			ERK activation;

Antiarrhythmic effect	LI 132	Guinea pig ventricular myocytes	Block repolarizing potassium currents;	Müller et al., 1999 [71]

Lipid-lowering effect	TCR	Rat liver plasma membranes	Binding of ¹²⁵I-LDL to the liver plasma;	Rajendran et al., 1996 [77]
			LDL-receptor activity;
			Increase bile acid excretion;
			Depress hepatic cholesterol synthesis;

Lipid-lowering effect	HFC	Caco-2 cells	ACAT activity;	Zhang et al., 2011 [78]
	The leaf of Crataegus pinnatifida	3T3-L1 cells	Gene expressions of C/EBPα, PPARγ, SREBP 1c, aP2 and adiponectin	Wang et al., 2011 [79];

Notes: AEC: alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxycantha; CE: Crataegus fruit extracts; ACAT: acyl CoA (Coenzyme A): cholesterol acyltransferase; HCAEC: human coronary artery endothelial cells; HUVECs: human umbilical vein endothelial cells; SERCA: sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ ATPase; IP3: inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; ERK: extracellular signal-regulated kinase; HFC: hawthorn fruit compound; NYHA: New York Heart Association.