Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Andaliman Extract (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium dc.) In Vitro

In this study, the ethanolic extract of andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. or lemon pepper) was investigated for its anti-inflammatory activity in macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide in vitro. Andaliman fruits were dried and extracted twice in ethanol 70%. The ethanolic andaliman extract was further tested for its inhibition on the expression of inflammatory biomarkers, i.e. TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2, in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages by performing Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Andaliman extract (1-10 µg/ml) and lipopolysaccharide (2 µg/ml) have no cytotoxicity effects on macrophages. Andaliman extract dose dependently decreased the expression of TNF-α and COX-2 proteins in macrophages treated with lipopolysaccharide. At the gene level, andaliman extract also effectively inhibited the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2. These data suggest that andaliman extract posseses anti-inflammatory activity through ameliorating the protein and gene levels of TNF-α, COX-2, IL-6, and iNOS in macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide. Andaliman extract could potentially used for therapeutic agent in inflammatory-related disorders.

Keywords: andaliman extract, cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, lipopolysaccharide, macrophages