Moringa oleifera Pod Inhibits Inflammatory Mediator Production by Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cell Lines

Pro-inflammatory mediators produced during inflammatory response have been demonstrated to initiate and aggravate pathological development of several chronic diseases. Plant bioactive constituents have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory activities. Various parts of Moringa oleifera have long been used as habitual diets and traditional remedy along the tropical region. Anti-inflammatory activity of boiled M. oleifera pod extract was assessed by measuring pro-inflammatory mediator expression in the lipopolysaccharide-induced murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Prior treatment with 31–250 μg/mL M. oleifera extract for 1 h inhibited elevation of mRNA and protein level of interleukine-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenease-2, induced by lipopolysaccharide for 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. The suppressive effect was mediated partly by inhibiting phosphorylation of inhibitor kappa B protein and mitogen-activated protein kinases. These results indicate that the anti-inflammatory activity from bioactive compounds present in the M. oleifera pod constituents may contribute to ameliorate the pathogenesis of inflammatory-associated chronic diseases.