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This study was undertaken to investigate the anti-arthritic potential of a standardized ethyl acetate fraction from the roots of Brassica rapa (EABR) and to explore the molecular mechanisms in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats and macrophages. In AIA-induced arthritic rats, EABR significantly reduced paw swelling, an arthritic index, serum rheumatoid factor, and tissue expression ratio of RANKL/OPG versus vehicle-administered group. This was found to be well correlated with significant suppressions in productions of PGE2, NO, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and in activations of NF-κB in AIA-induced paw tissues and LPS-induced macrophages. EABR attenuated NF-κB activation by reducing the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of the p65 NF-κB, which were accompanied by parallel reductions in the degradation and phosphorylation of IκBα after blocking the phosphorylation mediated IKK activation. The findings suggest EABR exerts its anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties via NF-κB inactivation in vitro and in vivo, and that EABR is a potential therapeutic for the treatment of arthritis and inflammation-associated disorders., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The anti-diabetic effects of two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini, sajabalssuk (SB) and sajuarissuk (SS), were investigated in type 2 diabetic animal using their ethanol extracts. Male C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice were divided into control, SB ethanol extract (SBE), SS ethanol extract (SSE), or rosiglitazone (RG) groups and their age-matched littermates (db/+) were used. Supplementation of the SBE (0.171 g/100g diet), SSE (0.154 g/100g diet), and RG (0.005 g/100g diet) improved glucose and insulin tolerance and significantly lowered blood glycosylated hemoglobin levels, as compared to the control group. Plasma insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels in db/db mice were higher in the db/+ mice, however these values were significantly lowered by SBE, SSE or RG-supplement. Hepatic GK activity was significantly lower in the db/db mice than in the db/+ mice, while hepatic G6Pase activity was vice versa. Supplementation of SBE, SSE and RG reversed these hepatic glucose-regulating enzyme activities. In addition, SBE and SSE markedly increased the hepatic glycogen content and muscle ratio as compared to the control group, but they did not alter the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin level. The RG group, however, showed a significant increase in the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin. These results suggest that SBE and SSE exert an anti-diabetic effect in type 2 diabetic mice.