The synergistic effect of luteolin and chicoric acid, two major constituents of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber), was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The optimum mixing ratio of luteolin and chicoric acid was 1:2. The anti‐inflammatory activity was compared using mRNA and protein expression levels, which were attributable to the suppression of inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β. Cytoprotective enzyme, heme oxygenase (HO)‐1, and its corresponding transcription factor, nuclear factor (NF)‐E2‐related factor (Nrf)‐2, were increased by luteolin and chicoric acid co‐treatment. In addition, synergistic effect was further examined whether inflammatory response was related to NF‐κB activation in the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) or phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐Akt pathway, inflammatory signaling pathways in RAW 264.7 cells. Luteolin and chicoric acid co‐treatment inhibited phosphorylation of IκBα, p65 and Akt, while gave no effect on extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase (JNK), and p38. These results suggest that two phenolic compounds synergistically attenuate LPS‐induced inflammation via inactivation of PI3K‐Akt pathway and impairment of NFκB translocation in RAW 264.7 cells.
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