Korean red ginseng extracts inhibit NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation

•RGE inhibited IL-1β maturation resulting from NLRP3 inflammasome activation.•RGE attenuated pathogen clearance via pyroptotic cell death by macrophages through inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome.•Ginsenosides are inhibitors of the inflammasome activation.

Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) is one of the most popular natural herbs modulating the immune system. Although the effects of RGE on immunity have been reported, its effects on inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that activate caspase-1 to induce maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β, have not been studied yet. In this study, we elucidated the effect of RGE on inflammasome activation using mouse and human macrophages. In our results, RGE inhibited IL-1β maturation resulting from NLRP3 inflammasome activation in both in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, RGE strongly attenuated IL-1β secretion as well as pathogen clearance via pyroptotic cell death by macrophages through inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation. Ginsenosides Rg1 and Rh3 were suggested as inhibitors of the inflammasome activation. Thus, we demonstrated that RGE inhibits both NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome activation, with predominant involvement of the AIM2 inflammasome.