Antiinflammatory and analgesic effect of herbal cocktail Hongbaekjeong via inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and prostaglandin E2 release

Though Hongbaekjeong (HBJ), a hebal mixture of three medicinal plants, has been traditionally used for arthritis and muscular pain, its scientific evidence still remains unclear. Thus, in the present study, analgesic and anti-inflammatory mechanism of HBJ was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. HBJ significantly reduced NO production and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release and also attenuated the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and interferon (IFN)-γ treated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, HBJ abrogated the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)1β, IL-6, IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) in LPS and IFN-γ treated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, HBJ significantly decreased the number of writhing syndrome induced by acetic acid, and also increased latency in hot-plate method and tail flick test in mice. Consistently, HBJ significantly reduced the edema volume in the hind paw of the rats with arthritis induced by Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) compared to untreated control. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of HBJ via inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and PGE2 release for treatment of arthritis and muscular pain.