Backgroud: Cheong-Hwa-Bo-Um-Tang (CHB) has been traditionally used to treat pharyngolaryngitis and throat inflammation in
Korea. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of CHB and the exact component proportion ratio of CHB have not been fully
reported.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to optimize the component proportion ratio of CHB on the basis of experimental
evidence using multiplex cytokine profiling assay in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages.
Results: The optimized CHB (named Chunhwabun-Cheong-Hwa-Bo-Um-Tang) inhibited the production of NO, IL-6, MCP-1, GMCSF,
IL-10, IP-10, VEGF, M-CSF, RANTES, MIP-1β, LIF, LIX, and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages
without decreasing cell viability (P<0.05). Chunhwabun-Cheong-Hwa-Bo-Um-Tang consisted of roots of
Scrophularia buergeriana,
Trichosanthes kirilowii
,
Anemarrhena asphodeloides
,
Phellodendron amurense
,
Angelica gigas
,
Rehmannia glutinosa
,
Paeonia
japonica
,
Cnidium officinale, and
Glycyrrhiza uralensis
(in the ratio of 8: 3: 3: 3: 3: 4: 4: 3: 3).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the multiplex cytokine profiling assay could be one of the effective methods for
evidence-guided optimization of the component proportion ratio of a traditional herbal formula used for treating excessive
inflammation such as the cytokine storm.
