Anti-inflammatory activity of patchouli alcohol in RAW264.7 and HT-29 cells

► Patchouli alcohol (PA) inhibited the production of iNOS and IL-6. ► PA inhibited NF-κB activation via suppressing IκB-α degradation and p65 nuclear translocation. ► PA inhibited ERK1/2 activation by suppressing their phosphorylation. ► Anti-inflammatory activity of PA is mediated by inhibiting ERK-derived NF-κB activation.