Inhibitory properties of gracilaria textorii ethanol extract on the inflammatory immune response

In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract from the marine red algal genus Gracilaria textorii were tested against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation in RAW 264.7 cells and croton oil-induced ear edema in mice. Both nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in RAW 264.7 cells, which had been stimulated by LPS, were significantly suppressed by G. textorii ethanol extract (GTEE) treatment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, expression levels of NF-κB signaling-related proteins (NF-κB, iNOS, and COX-2) and the phosphorylation of MAPK family (p38, JNK, and ERK) were reduced by GTEE. Moreover, GTEE administration in a croton oil-induced ear inflammatory murine model markedly attenuated severe local ear edema. Our results clearly indicate that GTEE can be a potential candidate for novel therapeutic natural agents in the inflammatory immune response.