title: Suppression of LPS-induced inflammatory activities by Rosmarinus officinalis L.
abstract: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has been used in folk medicine to treat headaches, epilepsy, poor circulation, and many other ailments. It was found that rosemary could act as a stimulant and mild analgesic and could reduce inflammation. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of rosemary need more study to be established. Therefore, in this study, the effects of rosemary on the activation of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and the production of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), and cytokine in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were investigated. A methanol extract of rosemary and its hexane fraction reduced NO generation with an IC(50) of 2.75 and 2.83 μg/ml, respectively. Also, the methanol extract and the hexane fraction inhibited LPS-induced MAPKs and NF-kB activation associated with the inhibition of iNOS or COX-2 expression. LPS-induced production of PGE(2) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were blocked by rosemary. Rosemary extract and its hexane fraction are important for the prevention of phosphorylation of MAPKs, thereby blocking NF-kB activation, which in turn leads to decreased expression of iNOS and COX-2, thus preventing inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Keimyung University, Daegu 704-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jun-Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: In-Gyeong
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Hyo-Gwon
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Seun-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: More
authors.forename: In-Seon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jinho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027542:Rosmarinus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases