Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Effects of Korean Ginseng Berry Extract in LPS-Activated RAW264.7 Macrophages
Jiha Byun, Su Kang Kim, Ju Yeon Ban
Abstract
Inflammatory macrophages stimulated by LPS disrupt homeostasis in the production of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). These are the causes of inflammation-related diseases and various cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Korean ginseng berry extract (KGB) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE[Formula: see text] production was elevated in response to LPS stimulation and was dose-dependently reduced by pretreatment with KGB. The expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA and protein were also reduced by KGB treatment. KGB treatment significantly suppressed the LPS-induced gene expression and production of cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1[Formula: see text], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] (TNF-[Formula: see text]. Furthermore, KGB inhibited the translocation of nuclear expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-[Formula: see text]B) by preventing inhibitory factor-kappa B (I[Formula: see text]B[Formula: see text] phosphorylation and suppressing the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. Additionally, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were observed following KGB treatment. Taken together, these results indicated that KGB possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, mediated by the inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. KGB may represent a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory and oxidative stress-related diseases.