Effect of burdock extracts upon inflammatory mediator production.

We investigated the burdock extract on the inhibitions of NO generation, COX-2 expression, and the generations of IL-6 and TNF-α , to find out its anti-inflammatory effect in this study. After the treatment of the burdock extract in the cells, we measured the amount of NO generated in the inflammatory cells developed by LPS and UVB, and confirmed the developments of inflammatory mediators by RT-PCR. Upon the results on the NO generation after the development of inflammation by LPS in Raw 264.7 cell, we found approximately 50% of inhibitory effect at 200 µg/ml concentrations of the burdock extract. It was confirmed that the expression levels of TNF-α, COX-2, and IL-6 were declined to the levels of control by LPS and UVB stimulated inflammation in HaCat cell. This means the anti-inflammatory effect of the burdock extract.