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Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire, used as a spice in Asia, is an important source of Chinese cuisine and traditional Chinese medicines. A. tsao-ko is reported to exert a variety of biological and pharmacological activities, including anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective effects. In this study, NNMBS227, consisting of the ethanol extract of A. tsao-ko, exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities in RAW264.7 macrophages. We investigated the effect of NNMBS227 in the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators, including pro-inflammatory enzymes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) in LPS stimulated macrophages. NNMBS227 also inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, as well as the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 caused by stimulation with LPS. In addition, NNMBS227 induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression through the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in macrophages. Using tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), an HO activity inhibitor, we confirmed an association between the anti-inflammatory effects of NNMBS227 and the up-regulation of HO-1. These findings suggest that Nrf2-dependent increases in the expression of HO-1 induced by NNMBS227 conferred anti-inflammatory activities in LPS stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and the action mechanism of the fruits of Hovenia dulcis ( H. dulcis ) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse macrophage Raw 264.7 cells. Methods The extract of H. dulcis fruits (EHDF) were extracted with 70% ethanol. Mouse macrophages were treated with different concentrations of EHDF in the presence and absence of LPS (1 μg/mL). To demonstrate the inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression levels were analyzed by using in vitro assay systems. COX-derived pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and prostaglandin E 2 were determined using ELISA kits. Cell viability, heme oxygenase-1 expression, nuclear factor-kappaB and nuclear factor E 2 -related factors 2 translocation were also investigated. Results EHDF potently inhibited the LPS-stimulated nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, COX-2, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α expression in a dose-dependent manner. EHDF suppressed the phosphorylation of inhibited kappaB-alpha and p65 nuclear translocation. Treatment of macrophage cells with EHDF alone induced the heme oxygenase-1 and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2. Conclusions These results suggest that the ethanol extract of H. dulcis fruit exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting inhibited kappaB-alpha phorylation and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]