Abstract
Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) and marine microalgae are two emerging natural products with many potential physiological health benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of two extracts prepared from Chaga mushroom and microalgae using lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell model. The Chaga mushroom extract dose-dependently reduced the production of proinflammatory biomarkers of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). At a high concentration of 500 µg/L, Chaga mushroom extract significantly suppressed cyclooxygenase-2 levels. Similarly, the extract of microalgae suppressed the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α by lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophages. Both extracts had no significant impact on the secretion of anti-inflammatory IL-4 production. These results suggest that extracts of Chaga mushroom and microalgae can be used in developing anti-inflammatory natural health products.