Inhibition of MAP kinases and down regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-beta and COX-2 genes by the crude extracts from marine bacteria.

Crude ethyl acetate extracts from marine bacterial isolates Staphylococcus arlettae KP2 (GenBank accession No. EU594442) and Planococcus maritimus KP8 (GenBank accession No. EU594443) isolated from Andaman seas were studied for their anti-inflammatory effect by lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) employing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The crude extracts from both the bacteria down regulated the synthesis of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), besides markedly inhibiting p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase. These results suggest that the crude ethyl acetate extracts from both the isolates do contain compounds capable of inhibiting inflammation in mitogen induced PBMC and efforts to score potential bioactive molecules from these extracts may prove to be a promising preposition.