Anti-inflammatory efficacy of a mixture of Liriope platyphylla root ethanol extract and Lycium chinense fruit ethanol extract in Raw264.7 cells

This study aimed to investigate effects of a mixture of Liriope platyphylla (LP) root and Lycium chinense (LC) fruit extract on NO production, gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and inflammatory protein expression in Raw264.7 cells. Three mixtures of extracts were used, including LP:LC=1:1, LP:LC=5:1, LP:LC=10:1. Cells were treated with extracts at concentrations of 12.5, 25, and 50 μg/mL. In LPS-induced inflammation, a 1:1 mixture of LP extract and LC extract significantly inhibited NO production at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. All concentrations of the mixture reduced gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α except for the mixture of 10:1 at 12.5 μg/mL on TNF-α. They also reduced gene expression of chemokines such as monocyte chemoattracted protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, as well as expression of the inflammatory protein cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Among all tested combinations, the 1:1 mixture of LP extract and LC extract demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory effect. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of the mixture of Liriope platyphylla (LP) root and Lycium chinense (LC) fruit extracts have the potential to be used as a composite mixture for the development of functional food.