The present research aimed at determining the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect of novel herbal formula SI000902, ethanolic extract of Trachelospermum asiaticumvar. intermedium Nakai (TA) and Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (PS) (TA and PS, mixed 1:1). The in vitro anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect of SI000902 was investigated using cytokines and nitrogen oxide (NO) inhibition potency along with interferon(INF)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2, and IL-6 levels were evaluated in human T-cells. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect was scrutinized by carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. SI000902 strongly inhibited NO (91.3%), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (31.5%), IL-6 (76.7%), and IL-1 (86.5%). In addition, it suppressed the expression of INF-γ (56.9%), IL-2 (37.1%), and IL-6 (44.3%) in human T-cells and also showed significant decrease in paw edema in carrageenan-induced paw edema rat model. These findings demonstrate that SI000902 has excellent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity and might be a potential natural source for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Key words: Trachelospermum asiaticum, Paeonia suffruticosa, anti-inflammatory,immunosuppressive, T-cell suppression.