Anti-inflammatory activity of Echinosophora koreensis nakai root extract in lipopolysaccharides-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Echinosophora koreensis Nakai is an endemic plant species distributed in a limited area within the Korean province of Gangwon, including the Yanggu-gun, Inje-gun, Cheorwon-gun, Chuncheon-si, and Hongcheon-gun counties. It is used in traditional medicine to treat various disorders, such as fever, skin diseases, diuresis, and neuralgia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study demonstrated the effects of E. koreensis Nakai root extract (EKRE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. Cell viability was assessed through a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Nitric oxide (NO) production was measured using Griess reagent. Interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression were assessed using Western blot analysis. To examine the effects of EKRE in vivo, it was administered orally at doses of 50 or 200 mg/kg for 3 days in mice. Edema in the paws was induced through λ-carrageenan injection and measured hourly for up to 5 h using calipers. RESULTS: EKRE markedly suppressed LPS-generated NO, IL-6, and iNOS production in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, it suppressed the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK in LPS-stimulated cells. Furthermore, EKRE significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced edema in mouse paws. There were no significant differences in IL-6 and TNF production in paw tissue harvested from mice, but levels decreased at high EKRE concentrations (200 mg/kg). CONCLUSION: The results of this study provided validation for EKRE-induced inhibition of inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. This research suggested that EKRE is a promising treatment for inflammatory disorders.

Antioxidant activity of extracts from Alpinia katsumadai seed.

Alpinia katsumadai (Zingiberaceae) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions such as emesis and gastric disorders. However, very little is known about the cellular actions by which this plant mediates its therapeutic effects. Various aspects of antioxidant activity were evaluated in a total extract derived from Alpinia katsumadai seed in this study. Relatively high levels of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were detected in the total extract (IC(50) 1.6 microgram/mL). Other known compounds such as (-)-epigallocatechine-3-gallate (EGCG) and resveratrol showed IC(50) values of <0.8 and 4.8 microgram/mL, respectively. The total extract also enhanced the viability of Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79-4) cells and inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis. The total extract of Alpinia katsumadai also dose-dependently enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in V79-4 cells, and these effects were comparable to other antioxidant compounds such as EGCG and resveratrol. Taken together, our findings show that Alpinia katsumadai contains significant antioxidant activity.