luteolin aglycone and luteolin glycosylated showed no cell
toxicity at 50 M. At the concentration of 100 M, luteolin
aglycone had a strong cytotoxic effect, with a cell viability reduction
of 98 ± 1%, compared to LPS, while luteolin glycosides
did not decrease cell viability, suggesting that luteolin
glycosylation reduced luteolin aglycone cytotoxicity. Furthermore,
it was observed that luteolin 7-O-glucoside augmented
MTT reduction to levels above LPS. Since the MTT method is
based on the measurement of cellular metabolic activity via mitochondrial
enzymes, L7OG effects in cell viability could be
related to an increase in macrophage mitochondrial activity.
Given the absence of cell toxicity verified for luteolin glycosides,
these compounds should be explored as an interesting
alternative to NSAIDs, which are largely used in clinics to
treat inflammatory conditions but have gastrointestinal and
renal adverse effects. Accordingly, isoorientin did not demonstrate
any apparent acute toxicity as well as gastric damage
when administered orally to rats (Küpeli, Aslan, Gürbüz, &
Yesilada, 2004).