Enhancement of Anti-inflammation Effect by Fermentation Process in Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott Extract

This study was indicated to enhance the anti-inflammation activities by the fermentation of the fruits of Aroniamelanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott. The extracts by 70% ethanol (EE) showed better biological activities than those by hotwater (WE) from campared result of the effect of extraction solvents. Then, the extract from 70% ethanol extraction wasfurther fermented by lactic acid, denoted as FEE. For antioxidant activities, the FEE had showed the highest value as 0.832of reducing powder, in comparison with those of EE and WE. Cytotoxicity of the water extraction (WE) was measured for12.06% in addition of 1.0 ㎎/㎖ of FEE. For anti-inflammation activities, NO production from the macrophage, RAW 264.7was observed as 7.24 μM and 8.52 μM from FEE and EE, respectively. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂) production from humanfibroblast cell, CCD-986sk, was also estimated for 152 pg/㎖ in addition of 1.0 ㎎/㎖ of the FEE. The lowest production ofboth IL-6 and TNF-α were 3.5 pg/㎖ and 865.5 pg/㎖, respectively in addition of 1.0 ㎎/㎖ of the FEE, whereas 74.5 pg/㎖and 982.4 pg/㎖ in treated with same concenrations of the EE. It was also found that the FEE was higher amounts thanother extracts through HPLC analysis of the anthocyanins. These results strongly indicate that fermentation process of thelactic acid could enhance anti-inflammation activities of extracts by increasing the amounts of the anthocyanins, especiallycyanidin-galactoside. Our results suggest that the application of the fermentation process for other medicinal herbs can beimproved their biological activities.