Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Fraxinus rhynchophylla on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine Raw 264.7 cells

Fraxinus rhynchophylla (Oleaceae) is a deciduous tree, known to have properties such as anti-inflammatory, convergence, febricide, antiblenophthalmia, antidiarrhea, antileukorrhea, and so forth. And it has been used for traditional herbal medicine in East Asian countries including Korea. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Fraxinus rhynchophylla ethanol extract (FRE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage Raw 264.7 cells with FRE pretreatment. We carried out DPPH-assay, Western blot, and Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). FRE showed 85% of free radical scavenging activity at concentration of 80 μg/ml. This study also revealed that FRE down-regulates the Cox-2 and iNOS expression in mRNA and protein level. In conclusion, crude ethanol extract of Fraxinus rhynchophylla showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and it may provide a good possibility for valuable sources of natural herb agent to inhibit the inflammation.