Immunomodulation of zerumbone via decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species from immune cells

Abstract

Background and Objective: Zerumbone has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and anti-hyperglycemic effects but the specific mechanism through which zerumbone exerts its anti-inflammatory action through inhibiting reactive oxygen species was not well studied. Hence, this paper studied the zerumbone capacity to inhibit intracellular and extracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) produced by whole blood cell, polymorphoneutrophil (PMNs) and macrophage cells due to the zymogen and phorbolmyristerate acetate (PMA) oxidant effect. Materials and Methods: Zymogen and PMA based chemiluminescence assay were used to determine the immunomodulatory effect of zerumbone at concentrations (100, 10 and 1 µg mLG 1 ) toward production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) from whole blood, PMNs and macrophage. Results: Zerumbone significantly inhibited intracellular and extracellular ROS production by the zymosan/PMA-activated phagocyte cells with IC 50 values of (16.3±0.1, 23.7±0.1 and 4.97±0.1 µg mLG 1 ) against whole blood, PMNs and macrophage respectively. Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory activity of zerumbone was so much significant that even strong oxidant (zymogen and PMA) were not able to produce reactive oxygen species when incubated together in phagocytic cells, thus suppress production of ROS. Therefore, it is highly used in herbal medicine as a potent immunomodulatory therapy in various inflammation associated diseases.