Abstract:

The present study was designed to elucidate the pharmacological and biological effects of Sargassum muticum extracts on the production of inflammatory mediators in macrophages. S. muticum was extracted with 80% EtOH. The extract was then successively partitioned with n-hexane, CH2Cl2, EtOAc, BuOH, and water. The results indicate that the CH2Cl2 fraction of S. muticum extract was an effective inhibitor of LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production in RAW 264.7 cells. These inhibitory effects of the CH2Cl2 fraction of S. muticum included dose-dependent decreases in the expression of iNOS and COX-2 proteins and iNOS and COX-2 mRNA. To test the inhibitory effects of S. muticum fractions on other cytokines, we also measured IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression by RT-PCR in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In these assays, the CH2Cl2 fraction of S. muticum decreased the expression of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Based on these results, we suggest that S. muticum extracts may be considered possible anti-inflammatory candidates for human health.

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