Immunomodulatory effects of Abelmoschus esculentus water extract through MAPK and NF-κB signaling in RAW 264.7 cells

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the world is facing a new, highly contagious virus that suppresses innate immunity as one of its early virulence mechanisms. Therefore, finding new methods to enhance innate immunity is a promising strategy to attenuate the effects of this major global health problem. With the aim of characterizing bioactive ingredients as immune-enhancing agents, this study focuses on Abelmoschus esculentus (okra), which has several previously demonstrated bioactivities. Firstly, we investigated the immune-stimulatory effects of okra leaf ethanol extract (OLE) and okra leaf water extract (OLW) on nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages. OLE significantly decreased nitrite accumulation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that it potentially inhibited NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, OLW significantly enhanced the production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and NO in a dose-dependent manner. OLW also increased the expression levels of NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, potentially explaining the OLW-induced increase in NO and PGE₂ production. In addition, OLW stimulated the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; ERK, p38, and JNK) as well as the activation and subsequent nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). This indicated that OLW activates macrophages to secrete PGE₂, TNF-α, IL-1β, and NO, inducing iNOS and COX-2 expression via activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that OLW can effectively promote the activation of macrophages, suggesting that OLW may possess potent immunomodulatory effects and should be explored as a potential health-promoting materials to boost the immune system.