Monoolein, isolated from , inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response by attenuating mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB pathways.

() is an edible brown alga native to South Korea. In the present study, we screened the anti-inflammatory activity of monoolein isolated from . Monoolein pretreatment in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated primary murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) showed strong dose-dependent inhibition of interleukin (IL)-12 p40, IL-6, and TNF-α cytokine production with IC values of 1.69±0.02, 6.87±0.37, and 5.19±0.56 μM, respectively. Pretreatment of monoolein attenuated the activation of MAPK and NF-κB pathways in the LPS-stimulated BMDCs by inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and IκBα. Furthermore, monoolein inhibited the production of NO and iNOS in RAW264.7 cells. Overall, our findings indicate that monoolein has a significant anti-inflammatory activity, and further studies regarding the potential of monoolein for medicinal use is warranted.