In this study, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts from medicinal herb mixtures were investigated in vitro. Contents of total polyphenols in ethanol extracts from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HC), Carthamus tinctorius L. (CT), and MIX-2 (Houttuynia cordata Thunb., Acanthopanax gracilistylus Smith, Carthamus tinctorius L., Kalopanax pictus) were 58.98, 60.79 and 57.74 mg/g respectively. Radical scavenging activities of the ethanol extracts were examined using α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl radicals and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay. Anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts from medicinal herbs composites were examined using 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assays. The ethanol extracts from medicinal herb mixtures showed higher 5-LO and COX-2 inhibition activities than those from single medicinal herbs. The ethanol extracts from medicinal herb mixtures also showed strong anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of NO production.
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