Synergistic anti-inflammatory effects of Curcuma xanthorrhiza rhizomes and Physalis angulata herb extract on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

Abstract

Activation of macrophages stimulates the release of various inflammatory mediators which become targets for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs. The combination of Curcuma xanthorrhiza and Physalis angulata extracts was investigated for its anti-inflammatory properties and synergistic effects. Separate extraction with ethanol was applied for both materials, followed by the determination of the characteristics of each extract. To assess the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), each extract and its combination was tested on lipopolysaccharide-(LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Nitric oxide production was determined by measuring the nitrite content using the Griess method. The cell viability was determined using the MTT method. Both extracts were also able to inhibit inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, and NO. The combination of the two extracts was dominated by a synergistic effect (C< 1) in all concentration ratios, but increasing the concentration ratio gave a cytotoxic effect. It can be concluded that both extracts possessed an anti-inflammatory activity on the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells model, and the combination of these extracts displayed synergistic anti-inflammatory activity.