Inhibition of methanol extract from the fruits of Kochia scoparia on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide, prostaglandin [correction of prostagladin] E2, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production from murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells.

In an attempt to search for bioactive natural products exerting antiinflammatory activity, we have evaluated the effects of the methanol extract of the fruits of Kochia scoparia (L.) CHARD. (Chenopodiaceae) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha release by the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Our data indicate that this extract is a potent inhibitor of NO production and it also significantly decreased PGE(2) and TNF-alpha release. Consistent with these observations, the protein and mRNA expression level of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was inhibited by MeOH extracts of Kochia scoparia (KSM) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, KSM inhibited the LPS-induced DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), which was associated with prevention of the inhibitor kappaB degradation. These results suggest that the methanol extract of K. scoparia inhibits LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 expression by blocking NF-kappaB activation.