Anti-inflammatory activities of methanol extract of Mastixia arborea C.B. Clarke as to mouse macrophage and paw edema.

The biological activity of Mastixia arborea (MA) relates to inflammation, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. We confirmed the anti-inflammatory effects of a methanol extract of MA extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells and carrageenan-induced mice paw edema. The MA extract significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In vitro expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was suppressed by the extract. The extract attenuated acute inflammatory responses in carrageenan-induced mice paw edema. A mechanism study indicated that translocation of the NF-κB (p65) subunit into the nucleus and phosphorylation of ERK and JNK were inhibited by the extract. These results indicate that the extract is an effective suppressor of the inflammatory response, blocking the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK and the translocation of NF-κB in macrophages, thereby producing an anti-inflammatory effect in vivo.