Anti-inflammatory effects of ethyl acetate fraction of unripe astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb. Cv. Cheongdo-Bansi) on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells

Unripe astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb. cv. Cheongdo-Bansi) is a by-product produced when thinning out the superfluous fruit of persimmon. We investigated whether unripe astringent persimmon has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Unripe astringent persimmon extract was fractionated sequentially in n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and water. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity compared to those of the other fractions. Pretreatment of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages with the ethyl acetate fraction reduced nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and intracellular oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and p-coumaric acid as the phenolic compounds of the ethyl acetate fraction. Collectively, these findings suggest that unripe astringent persimmon is a source of functional materials that can promote antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.