Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
J Med Food. 2009 Dec;12(6):1213-20. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2009.1118.
Nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) play important roles in inflammatory processes. This study examined whether 13 spices/herbs commonly used in Thai dishes modulate the production of NO and TNF-alpha by the RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line pretreated with plant extracts (1-100 microg/mL) prior to activation by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Tested plant tissues were extracted with ethanol with the exception of roselle, which was extracted with 70% acetone. Eight of the 13 plant extracts inhibited NO and TNF-alpha production in a dose-dependent manner without exerting cytotoxicity. Extract from Limnophila aromatica (Kyeng) was the most robust suppressor of NO production, followed by dill, kaffer lime, chili, Teaw, mint, sweet basil, and pea eggplant, respectively (range of 50% inhibitory concentration [IC(50)] = 11.4-74.6 microg/mL). Kyeng also exhibited the greatest inhibition of TNF-alpha production (IC(50) = 10.5 microg/mL). IC(50) values for NO and TNF-alpha production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells for these extracts were highly correlated (r = 0.772, P = .025). These results suggest that extracts from some spices/herbs in the habitual Thai diet possess anti-inflammatory activity. Moreover, the results support the use of NO production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells as a rapid and cost-effective tool for screening the anti-inflammatory activity of extracts of spices/herbs.
一氧化氮（NO）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）在炎症过程中发挥重要作用。本研究探讨了 13 种常用于泰国菜的香料/草药是否通过 RAW 264.7 小鼠巨噬细胞系预先用植物提取物（1-100μg/mL）处理，然后用细菌脂多糖（LPS）激活来调节 NO 和 TNF-α的产生。除罗勒外，测试的植物组织均用乙醇提取，罗勒用 70%丙酮提取。13 种植物提取物中有 8 种以剂量依赖的方式抑制 NO 和 TNF-α的产生，而没有细胞毒性。Limnophila aromatica（Kyeng）提取物是 NO 产生的最强抑制剂，其次是莳萝、卡菲尔酸橙、辣椒、泰国茶、薄荷、甜罗勒和豌豆茄子，分别为（50%抑制浓度[IC50]范围为 11.4-74.6μg/mL）。Kyeng 还表现出对 TNF-α产生的最大抑制作用（IC50=10.5μg/mL）。这些提取物对 LPS 激活的 RAW 264.7 细胞中 NO 和 TNF-α产生的 IC50 值高度相关（r=0.772，P=0.025）。这些结果表明，习惯性泰式饮食中的一些香料/草药的提取物具有抗炎活性。此外，结果支持使用 LPS 激活的 RAW 264.7 细胞中 NO 的产生作为筛选香料/草药提取物抗炎活性的快速、经济有效的工具。
