J Nutr Health.  2022 Feb;55(1):59-69. 10.4163/jnh.2022.55.1.59.

Anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanol fraction of Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora in RAW 264.7 cells

• Suhr J
• Lee H
• Kim S
• Lee SJ
• Bae EY
• Ly SY

• KMID: 2526924
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4163/jnh.2022.55.1.59

Abstract

Purpose
Natural medicinal plant extracts have recently attracted attention as health beneficial foods and potential therapeutic agents for prevention of various diseases. This study was undertaken to measure the anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanol-water fraction obtained from the above-ground portion of Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora, a wild-growing plant in Korea. The final fraction used in this study was the H 2 O-EtOH (40:60) fraction (SP60), which had the highest antioxidant activity, as determined in previous studies.
Methods
The amounts of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β production were measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells exposed to SP60. Western blot was performed to measure the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB.
Results
SP60 exerted no cytotoxicity up to concentrations of 125 μg/mL. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, were significantly decreased in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells exposed to SP60. In addition, the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2, and phosphorylated p65 showed a concentration-dependent decrease subsequent to SP60 treatment. These results indicate that SP60 inhibits the LPS-induced production of inflammatory cytokines, iNOS, and COX-2, by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB, which is responsible for the expression of inflammatory mediators.
Conclusion
The results presented in this study indicate that the H 2 O-EtOH (40:60) fraction (SP60) extracted from the above-ground portion of Spiraea prunifolia var. simpliciflora has