A Standardized Extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes Protects Wistar Rats Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Inflammation

Rhus verniciflua stokes (RVS) (Anacardiaceae) has been traditionally used as a folk remedy for gastritis, several cancers, and various metabolic diseases. The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of RVS extract standardized to fustin content using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated rats. The rats were randomly divided into six groups and intragastrically administered 0, 100, 250, or 500mg/kg body weight (bw) of RVS or 15mg/kg bw of fustin for 14 days. LPS was intraperitoneally injected 18h before sacrifice. The nitric oxide levels of RVS extract in either the serum or liver were significantly decreased compared to the LPS-treated rats (P<.05). The treatment with the RVS extract also blunted the rise of malondialdehyde levels in the liver (P<.05). The administration of RVS extract and fustin significantly prevented the elevation of interleukin 6 cytokine, iNOS, and COX-2 mRNA expression in the liver. Inflammatory cell infiltration was also significantly attenuated by the RVS extract or fustin supplementation. These results suggest that our standardized RVS extract has preventive effects on inflammatory reactions.