Anti-inflammatory effects of 6,8-diprenyl-7,4′-dihydroxyflavanone from Sophora tonkinensis on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

The anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanism of 6,8-diprenyl-7,4′-dihydroxyflavanone (DDF), one of the flavanones found in Sophora tonkinensis, were assessed in vitro through macrophage-mediated inflammation in the present study. The anti-inflammatory effects of DDF were not previously reported. DDF inhibited the production of nitric oxide and the expression of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6. Furthermore, the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages was suppressed by treatment with DDF. Therefore, DDF demonstrated potentially anti-inflammatory effects via the blockade of NF-κB and ERK activation in macrophages.