• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.1289-1294
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• 2009

Inflammation is a pivotal component of a variety of diseases, such as atherosclerosis and tumour progression. Various naturally occurring phytochemicals exhibit antiinflammatory activity and are considered to be potential drug candidates against inflammation-related pathological processes. Red pepper is the most consumed species in Korea. However, the antiinflammatory effects of red pepper have not been characterized. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of the aqueous extract from red pepper (RPAE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in murine macrophages. RPAE demonstrated strong antiinflammatory activity through its ability to reduce nitric oxide and prostaglandin $E_2$ production in the LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage cell, RAW264.7. It also inhibited the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on the LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Further study indicated that LPS-stimulated induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 was significantly inhibited by RPAE exposure (1,000 mg/mL) in RAW264.7 cells. Collectively, these data suggest that the use of RPAE may be a useful therapeutic approach to various inflammatory diseases.