Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of various organ extracts from Trichosanthes kirilowii maxim

In this study, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract of different organs such as seed, fruit and root from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (TKM) were investigated in vitro. Among organs of TKM, the methanol extract of seed showed weak 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities with 10.4±0.1% and 25.5±1.1% at 50 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL, respectively, and strong 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities with 72.4±6.3% and 96.4±2.3% at 50 µg/mL and 100 µg/mL, respectively. Anti-inflammatory effects of the extracts were investigated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production, mRNA expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-induced Raw 264.7 macrophage cells. The methanol extracts of seed and fruit at 50 µg/mL potently suppressed LPS-stimulated production of NO and reduced the expression of iNOS mRNA. The methanol extracts of seed and fruit also reduced the expression of COX-2 mRNA remarkably. Therefore, seed and fruit of TKM may be utilized for a wide range of health benefits associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.