A Study of the Anti-inflammatory Effects of the Ethyl Acetate Fraction of the Methanol Extract of Forsythiae Fructus

BACKGROUND The dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. (Oleaceae) are better known by their herbal name Forsythiae Fructus, and have a bitter taste, slightly pungent smell, and cold habit. FF has been widely used to treat symptoms associated with the lung, heart, and small intestine. Recently, bioactive compounds isolated from hydrophobic solvent fractions of FF have been reported to have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects. Traditionally, almost all herbal medicines are water extracts, and thus, extraction methods should be developed to optimize the practical efficacies of herbal medicines. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol extract of FF (FFE) were assessed by measuring NO and PGE2 production by and intracellular ROS and protein levels of iNOS and COX-2 in RAW 264.7 cells. RESULTS FFE inhibited COX-2 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. CONCLUSION In summary, FFE effectively reduced intracellular ROS and NO levels and inhibited PGE2 production by down-regulating COX-2 levels. Abbreviations: FF, of Forsythiae Fructus; NO, nitric oxide; iNOS, inducible NO synthase; COX-2, cyclooxygenase-2; ROS, reactive oxygen species; PGE2, prostaglandin E2.