Anti-inflammatory potential of Antrodia Camphorata through inhibition of iNOS, COX-2 and cytokines via the NF-κB pathway

Antrodia camphorata (A. camphorata), well known in Taiwan as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anticancer effects. In the present study, therefore, we have examined the effects of the fermented culture broth of A. camphorata (25-100 μg/ml) in terms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Our results indicate concentration-dependent A. camphorata inhibition of LPS-induced NO and PGE2 production, without appreciable cytotoxicity on the RAW 264.7 cells. A. camphorata also attenuates the production of LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β. Furthermore, A. camphorata blocks the IκB-α degradation induced by LPS. These results indicate that A. camphorata inhibits LPS induction of cytokine, iNOS and COX-2 expression by blocking NF-κB activation. Therefore, we report the first confirmation of the anti-inflammatory potential of this traditionally employed herbal medicine in vitro.