• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.421-428
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• 2020

This study investigated a mixture of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE) extracts (ALM16), exerts anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells, and its underlying mechanism. ALM16 was prepared by mixing AM and LE extracts in a ratio of 7:3 (w/w). Cytotoxicity of ALM16 in RAW264.7 cells was not shown up to 200 ㎍/mL of ALM16. The results of this study showed that ALM16 does-dependently inhibits the production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. ALM16 not only markedly reduced the protein expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, but also inhibited the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). In addition, ALM16 specifically inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinases in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that ALM16 may exert anti-inflammatory effect by modulating mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB signaling pathways.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.547-551
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• 2009

Gromwell (LE, Lithospermum erythrorhizon), a perennial herbal plant, has been used for the treatment of various problems associated with atopic dermatitis of the skin, such as water loss, epidermal hyperproliferation, and severe inflammation. Previously, it was shown that oral supplementation with a 70% ethanol extract of gromwell prevented the development of atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice. In this study, in order to identify the fraction that mediates gromwell's efficacy, the dietary effects of water and ethyl acetate fractions from the ethanol extract of gromwell were assessed in the development of dermatitis using NC/Nga mice. Dietary supplementation of the hot water fraction significantly reduced scores for epidermal hyperproliferation in parallel with a marked increase of ceramides. Supplementation of the gromwell hot water fraction also decreased scratching behavior, which was accompanied by a decrease in plasma levels of IgE. These results showed that the hot water fraction of the gromwell ethanolic extract prevented the development of atopic dermatitis by increasing ceramides in NC/Nga mice.