Green Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Extract Suppresses Oxidative Stress and LPS-Induced Inflammation via Regulation of JNK Signaling Pathways

In this study, we compared the physicochemical properties and the antioxidant capacities of black and green pepper. Green pepper from India (GPI) and Sri Lanka (GPS) had higher Hunter L* and b* values and lower a* values than black pepper from India (BPI) and Sri Lanka (BPS). The contents of chlorophyll a and b, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds in GPI and GPS were higher than those in BPI and BPS. The peppercorns showed the following decreasing order of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging capacities: GPI > GPS > BPI > BPS. High-performance liquid chromatography showed that the highest piperine content was present in GPI (8613.27 ± 45.86 mg/100 g). We further investigated the anti-inflammatory capacity of the green pepper. GPS and GPI significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite production and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression without being cytotoxic to RAW 264.7 cells. GPS and GPI also suppressed the LPS-induced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, but not p65. GPS had a higher inhibitory effect on LPS-induced c-Jun phosphorylation and translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus than GPI. Thus, the findings of our study suggest that green pepper has the potential to be an effective nutraceutical against oxidative and inflammatory stress.