title: Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cumin Essential Oil by Blocking JNK, ERK, and NF-κB Signaling Pathways in LPS-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells.
abstract: Cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum L.) have been commonly used in food flavoring and perfumery. In this study, cumin essential oil (CuEO) extracted from seeds was employed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and the underlying mechanisms. A total of 26 volatile constituents were identified in CuEO by GC-MS, and the most abundant constituent was cuminaldehyde (48.773%). Mitochondrial-respiration-dependent 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) reduction assay demonstrated that CuEO did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect at the employed concentrations (0.0005-0.01%). Real-time PCR tests showed that CuEO significantly inhibited the mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX-2), interleukin- (IL-) 1, and IL-6. Moreover, western blotting analysis revealed that CuEO blocked LPS-induced transcriptional activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These results suggested that CuEO exerted anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells via inhibition of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK and JNK signaling; the chemical could be used as a source of anti-inflammatory agents as well as dietary complement for health promotion.
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Xitong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Ruidong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Hailan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su