Anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanin-rich extract from banana bract on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages

Banana is an important fruit crop in the World and produced at large. Banana bract is the rich source of anthocyanin however, its biological activity is least explored. In the present study, anthocyanin-rich extract from banana bract (BBA) was prepared and characterized for the presence of various phytoconstituents using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS). Anti-inflammatory property of BBA in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cells was studied. LC-ESI/MS/ MS analysis identified the presence of various phenolics compounds, flavonoids and anthocyanin in BBA. BBA showed in vitro antioxidant activity. LPS stimulation decreased the cell viability whereas BBA treatment preserved the macrophage cell viability against LPS. BBA suppressed the LPS-stimulated NO, pro-inflammatory and PGE2 production in RAW 264.7 cells. BBA increased the endogenous antioxidants level against LPS-stimulation. BBA inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-& kappa;B under LPS-stimulated conditions. Altogether, the phytoconstituents present in BBA would have acted synergistically to bring anti-inflammatory activity.