<i>Craibiodendron stellatum</i> (Pierre) WW Sm. Extract Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Regulating Macrophage-Mediated Inflammation <i>In Vivo</i> and <i>In Vitro</i>

Acute lung injury (ALI), primarily triggered by bacterial infection, occurs via intricate immune defense mechanisms within the lungs. This study aimed to investigate the potential of <i>Craibiodendron stellatum</i> (Pierre) WW Sm. extract (CSE) as an anti-inflammatory agent in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced C57BL/6 mouse ALI model and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Results showed that oral CSE administration significantly suppressed LPS-induced ALI symptoms, including hemorrhage in alveolar spaces, thickened alveolar walls, and inflammatory cell infiltration; it also inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs. Additionally, oral CSE administration attenuated the LPS-induced iNOS expression in mouse lungs. CSE also inhibited the LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappa B signaling in RAW 264.7 cells. DCF-DA assay confirmed that CSE could reduce the LPS-induced reactive oxygen species production. Our findings suggested that CSE may be useful as a functional respiratory health material by regulating the inflammatory signaling pathway in alveolar macrophages in ALI induced by bacterial infections.