Effects of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-Enriched Sea Tangle Laminaria japonica Extract on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Mouse Macrophage (RAW 264.7) Cells

<TEX>γ</TEX>-Aminobutyric acid-enriched sea tangle extract was obtained from the fermentation of Lactobacillus brevis BJ-20. The fermented sea tangle extract (FST) was separated into three fractions by molecular weight: FST I (greater than 10 kDa), FST II (1-10 kDa), and FST III (less than 1 kDa). The anti-inflammatory characteristics of the FST fractions were investigated by measuring the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7) cells. Both NO production and iNOS expression levels were significantly inhibited by FST treatments in a dose-dependent manner. FST III was the most effective inhibitor of processes. This demonstrates that the effect of FST on LPS-induced inflammation might be closely correlated with the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine expression.