In vitro and Molecular Docking Analysis of Quercetin as an Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant

Quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) is a dietary flavonoid with good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The present study aims to determine these effects in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) evoked by lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

The mRNA expression and protein secretion of inflammatory mediators were evaluated by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. Western blotting was utilized for assessing p65-NF-κB phosphorylation. Ransod kits evaluated the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the cell lysates. Ultimately, the molecular docking approach was performed to investigate the biological activity of Quercetin against NF-κB pathway proteins and antioxidant enzymes.

The findings revealed that quercetin significantly attenuated the expression and secretion of inflammatory mediators and p65-NF-κB phosphorylation in LPS-induced PBMCs. Additionally, quercetin dose-dependently improved the activities of SOD and GPx enzymes and decreased LPS-mediated oxidative stress in PBMCs. Moreover, quercetin has a considerable binding affinity to IκKb, the core element of the NF-κB pathway and the antioxidant enzyme SOD.

The data show that quercetin plays a vital role in ameliorating inflammation and oxidative stress caused by LPS in PBMCs.