Inhibitory effects of fermented gastrodia elata on high glucose-induced NO and IL-8 production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Hyperglycemia or high glucose (HG), is the hallmark of diabetes, known to induce oxidative stress, release of chemokines, and cytokines, which confer endothelial cell damage. On the other hand, microbial transformation of organic materials often leads to certain changes in their product structures which could enhance their biological activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of fermented Gastrodia elata (FGE) in HG induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) dysfunction. GE, fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has an extensive history of safe use, exhibited higher phenolic compounds content than those of Gastrodia elata (GE). The HG-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were significantly attenuated by FGE pretreatment to the cells, in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, FGE showed marked activity in free radical scavenging. These results suggest that FGE possesses beneficial effects in protecting against the oxidative stress, and inflammatory conditions in endothelial cells, caused by HG.