Abstract
Vanillic acid is a benzoic acid derivative that is used as a flavoring agent. It is an oxidized form of vanillin. At present, the mechanisms by which vanillic acid exerts its anti-inflammatory effects are incompletely understood. In this study, we attempted to determine the effects of vanillic acid on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Our findings indicate that vanillic acid inhibits LPS-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. During the inflammatory process, the levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and nitric oxide (NO) increased in mouse peritoneal macrophages, but vanillic acid suppressed both the enhanced levels of COX-2 and the production of prostaglandin E2 and NO. Moreover, vanillic acid suppressed the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and caspase-1. These results provide novel insights into the pharmacological actions of vanillic acid and are indicative of the potential use of this molecule in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Acknowledgement
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) (No. R13–2008-028-01000-0).
Declaration of interest
The authors state no conflict of interest.