Anti-inflammatory effects of Scutellaria baicalensis water extract on LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2009-09, Vol.125 (2), p.286-290
• Main Authors: Yoon, Seok-Bin, Lee, Young-Jong, Park, Seong Kyu, Kim, Ho-Cheol, Bae, Hyunsu, Kim, Hyung Min, Ko, Seong-Gyu, Choi, Ho Young, Oh, Myung Sook, Park, Wansu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal proteins; Animals; Anti-inflammatory; anti-inflammatory activity; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; cell lines; Cells, Cultured; chemokines; culture media; cultured cells; Cytokine; Cytokines - antagonists & inhibitors; dosage; dose response; General pharmacology; herbal medicines; Inflammation Mediators - antagonists & inhibitors; interleukins; Labiatae; Lipopolysaccharides; Macrophage; macrophages; Macrophages - drug effects; mechanism of action; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Mice; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - antagonists & inhibitors; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Roots; roots; Scutellaria baicalensis; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors; vascular endothelial growth factors; viability
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.06.027

The root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Labiatae), also known as Scutellariae Radix, possesses anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. And it is one of the most widespread herbal remedies used in Oriental medicine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Scutellariae Radix water extract (SR) on proinflammatory mediators secreted from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay and nitric oxide (NO) concentration in the cultured medium was determined by the Griess reaction. Various Cytokines released from LPS-induced Raw 264.7 cells were measured in the cell culture supernatants using a multiplex bead array assay based on xMAP technology. We found that SR significantly inhibited the production of NO, interleukin (IL)-3, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-17, interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells at the concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 200 μg/ml ( p < 0.05). These results suggest that SR has anti-inflammatory activity related with its inhibition of NO, cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor production in macrophages.