Protective effect of a vegetable extract from Lupinus albus (LU 105) on human gingival elastic fibers degradation by human leukocyte elastase.

The aim of this study was to determine if a vegetable extract from seeds of Lupinus albus (LU 105) has the capacity to inhibit human leukocyte elastase and/or protect gingival elastic fibers against proteolytic degradation. LU105 was extracted from seeds of L albus and is freely soluble in water. In this study the ex-vivo elastolytic activity of human leukocyte elastase and the potential inhibitory effect of LU 105 were determined using human gingival cryostat tissue sections and computerized morphometric analysis. The gingival tissue sections pre-treated or not with LU 105 were submitted to the action of human leukocyte elastase or submitted to the simultaneous action of human leukocyte elastase and LU 105, and then analyzed using automated image analysis. In such conditions, LU 105 at 0.1%, 0.01%, and 0.001% developed a dose dependent protection of gingival elastic fibers against enzymatic proteolysis due to human leukocyte elastase, and LU 105 at 0.1% or 0.01% was able to inhibit the elastolytic activity of leukocyte elastase itself. It is proposed that LU 105 is an option for the treatment of gingival inflammation in which leukocyte elastase is involved.