Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Barringtonia augusta Kurz extract

Barringtonia augusta Kurz is a species of the genus Barringtonia. Although several studies have analyzed the biological activity of B. racemosa Roxb and B. acutangula, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of B. augusta extract (BKE) remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of BKE using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and RAW 264.7. BKE suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and inducible NO synthase expression without affecting RAW 264.7 cell viability. Additionally, BKE showed 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging capacities and inhibited LPS-induced reactive oxygen species production in RAW 264.7 cells. BKE also suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of IκB kinase and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and p65 translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that BKE is a possible novel material that exerts beneficial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathways.