Inhibition of cytokine expression by a butanol extract from Cordyceps bassiana.

Cordyceps species have been known since long as a multi-utility ethnomedicinal herbal in Korea, China and Japan. It has been reported to exhibit a number of properties such as anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, antiinflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesity effects. In a previously conducted study, we had demonstrated that the ethanol extract of Cordyceps bassiana was able to suppress the production of interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-gamma in macrophages and T lymphocytes. In this study, we were able to further explore the molecular basis of its inhibitory mechanism using a butanol fraction of this herbal (Cb-BF) preparation. Similarly, this fraction also blocked the expression of cytokines such as IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha as well as the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and their production of IFN-gamma but not IL-4. Cb-BF suppressed the luciferase activities that are mediated by nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB, activator protein (AP)-1, and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)-1. In agreement with this, these fractions diminished the translocation of the transcription factors into the nucleus. The study also demonstrated that the upstream signaling events for the activation of these factors such as spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), janus kinase (JAK)-2, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were suppressed. Therefore, these results suggest that the butanol extract of Cordyceps bassiana may contain more than one active component capable of inhibiting the inflammatory signaling cascade and this can be considered as a potential candidate for treatment of diseases that require suppression of immune system.