Taraxacum Officinale Effect on the Reduction of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a ubiquitous plant found in every continent except Antarctica. Despite its condemnation as a weed, it has been used for centuries in traditional European, Indian, and Chinese herbal medicine for its purported digestive and diuretic properties. Its leaves contain antioxidants and bioactive compounds like taraxasterol, which have been reported to reduce reactive oxygen species production and inhibit nitric oxide production. There have been claims that taraxasterol can reduce inflammation by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines; a cytokine is a small protein released by immune cells that helps regulate inflammation, immune responses, and cell communication. Our study aimed to investigate whether common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) reduces inflammation within the body by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ɑ) produced by macrophages. RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with varying concentrations of dandelion extract and plated (the process of transferring and spreading cells onto a culture dish or plate to allow them to adhere, grow, and multiply under controlled conditions) with or without LPS (a bacterial endotoxin that induces inflammation). We measured the production of IL-6 and TNF-ɑ by using ELISA. Our results showed that samples exposed to both LPS and dandelion extract showed less TNF-ɑ and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokine production than a control exposed to only LPS. These results elucidate the mechanism by which dandelion extract reduces inflammation, as seen in historical anecdotes.