Biomimetic Chiral Photonic Materials with Tunable Metallic Colorations Prepared from Chiral Melanin-like Nanorods for UV Shielding, Humidity Sensing, and Cosmetics.

Many biological species combine the helical organization of cellulose or chitin microfibrils with broadband light absorption of black melanin to produce brilliant structural colors with metallic and glossy effects and other diverse functions. In this work, based on core-shell CNC@PDA chiral nanorods consisting of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as the core and melanin-like polydopamine (PDA) as the shell that can form well-defined chiral liquid crystal phases, we report chiral photonic materials that closely mimic the unique coloration mechanisms and functionalities mastered by several biological species. The photonic films formed by such single CNC@PDA nanorods have brilliant iridescent structural colors originating from selective reflection of circularly polarized lights by the helical organization of CNC@PDAs across the films. Furthermore, the colors of such films have background-independent brightness, high visibility, and metallic effects that arise from the light absorption of the PDA component. Especially, the color ranges and metallic effects of the films can be conveniently tuned by varying the thickness of the PDA shell. In addition, the UV absorption and hygroscopic properties of PDA endow these CNC@PDA films with efficient broadband UV shielding and sensitive humidity-induced dynamic color changes. Due to the mussel-like superior adhesion of PDA, CNC@PDA-based photonic coatings can be formed conformably onto diverse kinds of substrates. A shiny eye shadow with viewing angle-dependent colorful patterns was used to demonstrate the potential applications. With combinations of multiple unique properties in one photonic material fabricated from a single building block, these CNC@PDA-based films are expected to have potential applications in cosmetics, UV protection, anticounterfeiting, chiral reflectors, etc.

Plasmonic Au Nanoparticle@Ti3C2Tx Heterostructures for Improved Oxygen Evolution Performance.

As we know, in plasmonic-enhanced heterogeneous catalysis, the reaction rates could be remarkably accelerated by generating hot carriers in the constituent nanostructured metals. To further improve the reaction rate, well-defined heterostructures based on plasmonic gold nanoparticles on MXene Ti3C2Tx nanosheets (Au NPs@Ti3C2Tx) were rationally designed and systematically investigated to improve the performance of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results demonstrated that the catalysis performance of the Au NPs@Ti3C2Tx system could be easily tuned by simply varying the concentration and size of Au NPs, and Au NPs@Ti3C2Tx with an average Au NP diameter (∼10 nm) exhibited a 2.5-fold increase in the oxidation or reduction current compared with pure Ti3C2Tx. The enhanced OER performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the plasmonic hot hole injection and Schottky junction carrier trapping. Owing to easy fabrication of Au NPs@Ti3C2Tx, the tunable size and concentration of Au NPs loaded on MXene nanosheets, and the significantly enhanced OER, it is expected that this work can lay the foundation to the design of multidimensional MXene-based heterostructures for highly efficient OER performance.

Isorhamnetin protects mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury via the inhibition of inflammatory responses.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Isorhamnetin (Isor), a 3-O-methylated metabolite of quercetin, has shown antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects in previous studies. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Isor on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Accordingly, we evaluated the effect of Isor on cytokine production elevated by LPS (1 µg/ml) in vitro. An in vivo ALI murine model was also established via lipopolysaccharide inhalation (LPS, 20 mg/kg), and the cytokine levels and inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were evaluated. The observed lung injury was assessed using histopathologic sections via H&E straining. Furthermore, to investigate whether the anti-inflammatory effect of Isor is associated with NF-κB and MAPKs pathway activation, the phosphorylated levels of ERK, JNK, IκBa and NF-κB(p65) were determined. RESULTS: Isor significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 secretion both in vitro and in vivo. Neutrophil infiltration and edema in an ALI model were substantially alleviated. The histopathological changes induced by LPS were lessened by Isor. Additionally, Isor notably suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, IκBa and NF-κB(p65) activated by LPS in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Isor showed efficient protective effects on an LPS-induced ALI model. MAPKs and NF-κB pathways are critical for Isor to perform its protective effects.

Esculentoside A Attenuates Allergic Airway Inflammation via Activation of the Nrf-2 Pathway.

BACKGROUND: The role of airway inflammation and inflammation-induced oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic inflammatory airway diseases has received increasing attention in recent years. We investigated the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of esculentoside A (EsA), a saponin isolated from the Chinese herb Phytolacca esculenta, in comparison to dexamethasone, a potent corticosteroid, in a murine model of allergic asthma. METHODS: EsA was added to cultures of A549 cells at different concentrations or for different lengths of time, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) translocation and heme oxygenase 1 expression were monitored. Mice treated with or without EsA and Nrf-2 siRNA were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and developed airway inflammation and oxidative lung damage. The Th2-type cytokine levels and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the serum immunoglobulin production and adhesion molecule expression in the lung tissues were measured. The activities of related antioxidases and glutathione were measured using assay kits. RESULTS: EsA enhanced nuclear Nrf-2 translocation in both A549 cells and the lungs of OVA-challenged mice. Airway inflammation induced by OVA was reduced. Additionally, EsA increased mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes regulated by Nrf-2, leading to a reduction in Th2 cytokines and the expression of adhesion molecule mRNA in the BALF and lung tissues. Inhibition of Nrf-2 by siRNA abrogated the regulatory effects of EsA on inflammation and oxidant stress. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to illustrate that EsA acts as a novel Nrf-2 activator, which modulates the oxidative stress pathway to improve lung injury and ameliorate the development of airway inflammation.

Protective effect of esculentoside A on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice.

BACKGROUND: Esculentoside A (EsA) is a saponin isolated from the Chinese herb Phytolacca esculenta. In our study, we sought to investigate the protective effects of EsA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the effects of EsA on the reduction of histopathologic changes in mice with ALI, inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung wet-to-dry weight ratio were measured in LPS-challenged mice, and lung histopathologic changes observed via paraffin section were assessed. Next, cytokine production induced by LPS in BALF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. To further study the mechanism of EsA protective effects on ALI, IκBa, p38, and extracellular signal receptor-activated kinase pathways were investigated in lung tissue of mice with ALI. RESULTS: In the present investigation, EsA showed marked effects by reducing inflammatory infiltration, thickening of the alveolar wall, and pulmonary congestion. Levels of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 elevated by LPS were significantly decreased in BALF in EsA-pretreated ALI model. Furthermore, EsA significantly suppressed phosphorylation of IκBa, p38, and extracellular signal receptor-activated kinase. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that EsA suppressed inflammatory responses in LPS-induced ALI through inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa B and mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathways. EsA may be a promising potential preventive agent for ALI treatment.

Adipose-specific deletion of the cation channel TRPM7 inhibits TAK1 kinase-dependent inflammation and obesity in male mice.

Chronic inflammation of white adipose tissue is a key link between obesity and the associated metabolic syndrome. Transient receptor potential melastatin-like 7 (TRPM7) is known to be related to inflammation; however, the role of TRPM7 in adipocyte phenotype and function in obesity remains unclear. Here, we observe that the activation of adipocyte TRPM7 plays an essential role in pro-inflammatory responses. Adult male mice are used in our experiments. Adipocyte-specific deficiency in TRPM7 attenuates the pro-inflammatory phenotype, improves glucose homeostasis, and suppresses weight gain in mice fed a high-fat diet. Mechanistically, the pro-inflammatory effect of TRPM7 is dependent on Ca2+ signaling. Ca2+ influx initiated by TRPM7 enhances transforming growth factor-ß activated kinase 1 activation via the co-regulation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6, leading to exacerbated nuclear factor kappa B signaling. Additionally, obese mice treated with TRPM7 inhibitor are protected against obesity and insulin resistance. Our results demonstrate TRPM7 as a factor in the development of adipose inflammation that regulates insulin sensitivity in obesity.

Deficiency of endothelial FGFR1 signaling via upregulation of ROCK2 activity aggravated ALI/ARDS.

Vascular leakage and inflammation are pathological hallmarks of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Endothelial cells (ECs) serve as a semipermeable barrier and play a key role in disease progression. It is well known that fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is required for maintaining vascular integrity. However, how endothelial FGFR1 functions in ALI/ARDS remains obscure. Here, we revealed that conditional deletion of endothelial FGFR1 aggravated LPS-induced lung injury, including inflammation and vascular leakage. Inhibition of its downstream Rho-associated coiled-coil-forming protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) by AAV Vec-tie-shROCK2 or its selective inhibitor TDI01 effectively attenuated inflammation and vascular leakage in a mouse model. In vitro, TNFα-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) showed decreased FGFR1 expression and increased ROCK2 activity. Furthermore, knockdown of FGFR1 activated ROCK2 and thus promoted higher adhesive properties to inflammatory cells and higher permeability in HUVECs. TDI01 effectively suppressed ROCK2 activity and rescued the endothelial dysfunction. These data demonstrated that the loss of endothelial FGFR1 signaling mediated an increase in ROCK2 activity, which led to an inflammatory response and vascular leakage in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, inhibition of ROCK2 activity by TDI01 provided great value and shed light on clinical translation.

A novel borate fluorescent probe for rapid selective intracellular peroxynitrite imaging.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-) is one of the species of reactive nitrogen (RNS), which plays an important role in antibacterial activity and signal transduction and other physiological and pathological processes. In this paper, based on the benzyl borate group, a new fluorescent probe capable of detecting ONOO- with high selectivity and sensitivity is designed, and the possible mechanism of the interaction between probe and ONOO- is proposed. The probe shows high fluorescence response to ONOO- in a wide pH range (7.0-11.5). Moreover, the probe exhibit good permeability, and the content of ONOO- in cancer cells and normal cells was successfully monitored.

Plasmonic Enhancement in Water Splitting Performance for NiFe Layered Double Hydroxide-N10 TC MXene Heterojunction.

MXene-based material has attracted wide attention due to its tunable band gap, high conductivity and impressive optical and plasmonic properties. Herein, a hetero-nanostructured water splitting system was developed based on N-doped Ti3 C2 (N10 TC) MXene and NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets. The oxygen evolution reaction performance of the NiFe-LDH significantly enhanced to approximately 8.8-fold after incorporation of N10 TC. Meanwhile, the Tafel slope was only 58.1 mV dec-1 with light irradiation, which is lower than pure NiFe-LDH nanosheets (76.9 mV dec-1 ). All results manifested the vital role of the N10 TC MXene induced plasmonic hot carriers via electrophoto-excitation in enhancing the full water splitting performance of the as-prepared system. This work is expected to provide a platform for designing various plasmonic MXenes-based heterogeneous structures for highly efficient catalytic applications.

A highly stable CoMo2S4/Ni3S2 heterojunction electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution.

A CoMo2S4/Ni3S2 heterojunction is prepared with a high charge carrier mobility and many active sites. This CoMo2S4/Ni3S2 electrode requires an overpotential of only 51 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH solution. Impressively, the as-prepared electrode exhibits a high stability, with ∼100% of the current density remaining in the ∼50 h amperometric curve both at 10 mA cm-2 and 240 mA cm-2.

Therapeutic effects of rosmarinic acid on airway responses in a murine model of asthma.

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an active component of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Previously, we reported that RA exerted a strong anti-inflammatory effect in a mouse acute lung injury model. Therefore, we hypothesized that RA might also have potential therapeutic effects in a murine model of asthma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-asthmatic activity of RA and explored its possible molecular mechanisms of action. Female BALB/c mice that had been sensitized to and challenged with ovalbumin (Ova) were treated with RA (20mg/kg) 1h after challenge. The results showed that RA greatly diminished the number of inflammatory cells and the production of Th2 cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); significantly reduced the secretion of total IgE, Ova-specific IgE, and eotaxin; and markedly ameliorated airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) compared with Ova-induced mice. Histological studies further revealed that RA substantially decreased inflammatory cells infiltration and mucus hypersecretion compared with Ova-induced mice. Moreover, our results suggested that the protective effects of RA were mediated by the inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Furthermore, RA treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of AMCase, CCL11, CCR3, Ym2 and E-selectin in lung tissue. These findings suggest that RA may effectively delay the development of airway inflammation and could thus be used as a therapy for allergic asthma.

Tenuigenin ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways.

We aimed to explore the protective effect of tenuigenin (TNG) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory responses in acute lung injury (ALI). Thus, we assessed the effects of TNG on the LPS-induced production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1ß in the culture supernatants of RAW 264.7 cells. Male BALB/c mice were pretreated with commercial TNG (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (Dex, 5mg/kg) for 1h prior to LPS (0.5 mg/kg) challenge. After 12h, airway inflammation was assessed. Our results showed that TNG dramatically decreased the production of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in vitro and in vivo as well as the expression of COX-2 protein in vivo. Treatment with TNG not only significantly ameliorated LPS-stimulated histopathological changes but also reduced the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the wet-to-dry weight ratio of the lungs. Furthermore, TNG blocked IκBα phosphorylation and degradation and inhibited p38/ERK phosphorylation in LPS-induced ALI. These findings suggest that TNG may have a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI and may be useful for the prevention and treatment of ALI in the clinical setting.

Modulation of LPS-stimulated pulmonary inflammation by Borneol in murine acute lung injury model.

The object of our study is to investigate the protective effects of Borneol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. To determine the effects of Borneol on the histopathological changes in mice with ALI, inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung wet/dry weight ratio were measured in LPS-challenged mice, and lung histopathologic changes observed via paraffin section were assessed. Next, cytokine production induced by LPS in BALF and RAW 264.7 cells was measured by enzyme-linked imunosorbent assay (ELISA). To further study the mechanism of Borneol-protective effects on ALI, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathways were investigated. In the present study, Borneol obviously alleviated pulmonary inflammation by reducing inflammatory infiltration, histopathological changes, descended cytokine production, and pulmonary edema initiated by LPS. Furthermore, Borneol significantly suppressed phosphorylation of NF-κB/P65, IκBa, p38, JNK, and ERK. Taken together, our results suggest that Borneol suppressed inflammatory responses in LPS-induced acute lung injury through inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways. Borneol may be a promising potential preventive agent for acute lung injury treatment.

Zingerone attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice.

Zingerone, one of the active components of ginger, is a phenolic alkanone with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, we analyzed the role of zingerone against RAW 264.7 cells and acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. RAW cells or BALB/c mice were pretreated with zingerone one hour before stimulated with LPS. We found that zingerone significantly inhibited the production of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo. When pretreated with zingerone, pulmonary histopathologic changes, as well as alveolar hemorrhage and neutrophil infiltration were substantially suppressed in lung tissues, with evidence of reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in murine acute lung injury model. The lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratios, as the index of pulmonary edema, were markedly decreased by zingerone pretreatment. Furthermore, we demonstrated that zingerone attenuates the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathways through blocking the phosphorylation of ERK, p38/MAPK and IκBα, NF-κB/P65. These results suggest that zingerone may provide protective effects against LPS-induced ALI.

Paeonol suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cytokines in macrophage cells and protects mice from lethal endotoxin shock.

Paeonol (2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxyacetophenone) is the main phenolic compound of the radix of Paeonia suffruticosa which has been used as traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we primarily investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and the underlying mechanisms of paeonol in RAW macrophage cells; and based on these effects, we assessed the protective effects of paeonol on lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia in mice. The in vitro study showed that paeonol regulated the production of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10 via inactivation of IκBα, ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK. In mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are significantly regulated, and thus the survival rates of lipolysaccharide-challenged mice are improved by paeonol (150, 200, or 250 mg/kg). Therefore, paeonol has a beneficial activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cell and mouse models.

Protection of mice against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic shock by pinocembrin is correlated with regulation of cytokine secretion.

Natural products have been used as potentially important sources of anti-inflammatory drugs. This study examined the effects of pinocembrin against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia to ascertain whether pinocembrin could protect mice from ensuing death. Cytokine responses were also assessed in serum isolated from blood collected at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 h after LPS administration of the mice (with or without drug treatment). The results showed that there was a lower production of TNFα, IL-6, and IL-1ß in the serum of LPS-challenged mice that had been pre-treated with pinocembrin. In addition, pre-treatment with pinocembrin improved host survival against the LPS-induced lethal endotoxemia. These results suggest that this new flavonoid could potentially be a novel candidate for preventing development/mitigation progression of septic shock.

Phillyrin attenuates LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation via suppression of MAPK and NF-κB activation in acute lung injury mice.

Phillyrin (Phil) is one of the main chemical constituents of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.), which has shown to be an important traditional Chinese medicine. We tested the hypothesis that Phil modulates pulmonary inflammation in an ALI model induced by LPS. Male BALB/c mice were pretreated with or without Phil before respiratory administration with LPS, and pretreated with dexamethasone as a control. Cytokine release (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) and amounts of inflammatory cell in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by ELISA and cell counting separately. Pathologic changes, including neutrophil infiltration, interstitial edema, hemorrhage, hyaline membrane formation, necrosis, and congestion during acute lung injury in mice were evaluated via pathological section with HE staining. To further investigate the mechanism of Phil anti-inflammatory effects, activation of MAPK and NF-κB pathways was tested by western blot assay. Phil pretreatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced pulmonary histopathologic changes, alveolar hemorrhage, and neutrophil infiltration. The lung wet-to-dry weight ratios, as the index of pulmonary edema, were markedly decreased by Phil pretreatment. In addition, Phil decreased the production of the proinflammatory cytokines including (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) and the concentration of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissues. Phil pretreatment also significantly suppressed LPS-induced activation of MAPK and NF-κB pathways in lung tissues. Taken together, the results suggest that Phil may have a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI, and it potentially contributes to the suppression of the activation of MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Phil may be a new preventive agent of ALI in the clinical setting.

p-Cymene modulates in vitro and in vivo cytokine production by inhibiting MAPK and NF-κB activation.

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of p-cymene on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cytokine production both in vitro and in vivo. The production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and C57BL/6 mice was evaluated by sandwich ELISA. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of cytokine genes were examined in vitro by semiquantitative RT-PCR. In a further study, we analyzed the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways by western blotting. We found that p-cymene significantly regulated TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the levels of relative mRNAs were also found to be downregulated. In in vivo trail, p-cymene markedly suppressed the production of TNF-α and IL-1ß and increased IL-10 secretion. We also found that p-cymene inhibited LPS-induced activation of extracellular signal receptor-activated kinase 1/2, p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and IκBα. These results suggest that p-cymene may have a potential anti-inflammatory action on cytokine production by blocking NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Imperatorin attenuates LPS-induced inflammation by suppressing NF-κB and MAPKs activation in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Imperatorin is a type of coumarin compound with antibacterial and antiviral activities. In the present study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effects of imperatorin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages by investigating its impact on the production and expression of cytokines and the major signal-transduction pathways. We found that imperatorin downregulated LPS-induced levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner, and it significantly inhibited expression of TNF-α and IL-6 (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 protein were analyzed by western blotting. In RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with 1 mg/L of LPS, imperatorin significantly inhibited p38 and Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation protein expression. However, there was no significant change in p-ERK. Furthermore, imperatorin also inhibited NF-κB translocation into the nucleus through blockage of IκBα phosphorylation and degradation.

Traditional medicine alpinetin inhibits the inflammatory response in Raw 264.7 cells and mouse models.

Alpinetin, one of the main constituents of the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata, belonging to flavonoids, has been known to exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and other important therapeutic activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protection of alpinetin on inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated Raw 264.7 cells and LPS induced vivo lung injury model. The effects of alpinetin on pro-inflammatory cytokines and signaling pathways were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. The results showed that alpinetin markedly inhibited the LPS- induced TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß production both in vitro and vivo. Furthermore, alpinetin blocked the phosphorylation of IκBα protein, p65, p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. From in vivo study, it was also observed that alpinetin attenuated lung histopathologic changes in mouse models. These results suggest that alpinetin potentially decreases the inflammation in vitro and vivo, and might be a therapeutic agent against inflammatory diseases.