Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the traditional herbal formula Gwakhyangjeonggi-san via enhancement of heme oxygenase-1 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages

Abstract

Gwakhyangjeonggi‑san (GHJGS) is a mixture of herbal plants, including Agastache rugosa, Perilla frutescens, Angelica dahurica, Areca catechu, Poria cocos, Magnolia officinalis, Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus reticulata, Pinellia ternata, Platycodon grandiflorum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ziziphus jujuba and Zingiber officinale. GHJGS has been used for treating diarrhea‑predominant irritable bowel syndrome in traditional Korean medicine. In the present study, the anti‑inflammatory and antioxidant effects of GHJGS were investigated using the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line. GHJGS significantly reduced production of the proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor‑α, interleukin‑6 and prostaglandin E2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑stimulated macrophages. GHJGS markedly suppressed LPS‑induced phosphorylation of mitogen‑activated protein kinases, whereas it had no effect on nuclear factor‑κB activation. Furthermore, GHJGS enhanced expression of heme oxygenase‑1 and prevented the generation of reactive oxygen species in RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicate that GHJGS is a viable therapeutic agent against inflammation and oxidative stress‑associated disorders.

The Porphyromonas gingivalis inhibitory effects, antioxidant effects and the safety of a Sri Lankan traditional betel quid - an in vitro study

“…Investigations by Zhou et al have shown that vitamins C and E can alleviate hepatoxic effects of arecanut in mice [ 82 ]. These findings support the use of arecanut in combination with other antioxidant rich herbal ingredients in traditional medicine systems, thus alleviating any possible detrimental effects [ 74 ]. In the present study, the content of arecanut accounts only for 1/8th of the TBQ mixture, while the remaining 7/8th portion is shared by seven herbal ingredients which are rich sources of natural antioxidants [ 24 , 26 – 30 ].…”

“…However, it has been demonstrated that such association depends on the frequency and the dose of arecanut consumption [ 71 , 73 ]. Despite this claimed potential carcinogenic effect, small doses of arecanut have been used alone or in combination with other medicinal herbs in treating diverse disease conditions in Asian traditional medicine systems [ 74 – 76 ]. A number of recent laboratory and clinical studies have also provided strong evidence for the therapeutic effect of low concentrations of arecoline, which is known to be the carcinogenic alkaloid in arecanut.…”

Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction and Anti-inflammatory Actions ofAtractylodes macrocephalaandTaraxacum herbaExtracts Prevented Colitis and Was More Effective than Sulfasalazine in Preventing Relapse

“…Recently, Jeong et al . 40 demonstrated that AM significantly reduced production of the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-6 and prostaglandin E2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells and enhanced expression of HO-1 and prevented the generation of reactive oxygen species in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Zhang et al .…”

Combination of Pelargonium sidoides and Coptis chinensis root inhibits nuclear factor kappa B-mediated inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo

“…Several researchers have attempted to inhibit activated macrophages as a potential therapy for inflammatory disease [ 1 , 26 ]. Many studies have shown that activating macrophages with bacterial endotoxins, such as LPS, primarily triggers the production of inflammatory mediators, including NO and PGE 2 , as well as the inducible enzymes iNOS and COX-2 [ 27 – 29 ].…”