RAW 264.7 Macrophage Cell Line: In Vitro Model for the Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory Activity of Zingiberaceae

Abstract

The immune response plays an essential role in the body's defense against infection. Macrophages are promising targets against which to screen agents that modulate immune responses. In vitro analysis, primarily using cell lines, is preferred to screen bioactivity initially. RAW 264.7 cells comprise a model macrophage cell line close to primary murine macrophages. Indonesian people often use the Zingiberaceae family or “empon-empon" in the favorable treatment of several diseases, including immune disorders. This review highlights several studies of Zingiberaceae using RAW 264.7 cells, focusing on the observed immunomodulatory activity and assay methods. The research on RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line in Zingiberaceae was gathered using Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from 2012-2021. Based on the reviews, the Zingiberaceae family has immunomodulatory effects by increasing or decreasing inflammatory mediators such as NO, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, and phagocytosis activity in RAW 264.7 cells. Several methods can assess the activation of RAW 264.7 cells, including cell viability assays using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT); measuring nitric oxide production (Griess reaction), cytokine production (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]), and phagocytosis (neutral red uptake assay); and detecting DNA (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR]). The information provided in this review presents avenues for future investigations of the immunomodulatory activity of Zingiberaceae.