Anti-inflammatory effects on murine macrophages of ethanol extracts of Lygodium japonicum spores via inhibition of NF-κB and p38

The study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extracts of Lygodium japonicum spores (ELJ) on murine macrophages. It was found that ELJ significantly suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, with interleukin (IL)-6 production repressed only at higher concentrations (≥200 µg/ml). The reduction in NO production was linked to the downregulation of inducible NO synthase mRNA and protein expression, while cyclooxygenase-2 expression remained unaffected. ELJ also inhibited the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, potentially due to the stabilization of inhibitor of κBα and inhibition of p38 MAPK. These findings suggested that ELJ could suppress LPS-induced inflammatory responses through the negative regulation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB, indicating its potential as a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic candidate.