Plant-derived compounds have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory abilities contained inhibited β-hexosaminidase, ROS and NO release. Essential oils are natural volatile complex compounds that are characterized by a strong scent and produced by aromatic plants as various plant-derived compounds. The essential oil extracted from Zanthoxylum coreanum Nakai (Z. coreanum) has various functional properties; however, little information is available regarding its anti-allergic inflammatory. A total of 17 compounds were detected in Z. coreanum oil, and the main component was estragole (50.86%). The tested Z. coreanum oil and estragole statistically inhibited the release of β-hexosaminidase induced by antigen stimulation in RBL-2H3 cells. This Z. coreanum oil and estragole may stimulate the secretion of active oxygen (ROS) or nitric oxide (NO) which are considered to involved in anti-inflammatory events. Moreover, it is suggested that Z. coreanum oil and estragole may negatively control the production of SNARE proteins (VAMP7) at the tran-scriptional and translational levels in common. These results demonstrate that Z. coreanum oil and its major component, estragole, possess potent anti-inflammatory abilities that are coupled with antioxidant properties.

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
    1. Essential oils
    2. Chemicals
    3. GC-MS analysis
    4. Cell cultures
    5. Cell viability
    6. The assay of β-hexosaminidase
    7. The assay of ROS
    8. The assay of NO
    9. Phosphorylation assay of SNARE proteins
    10. Statistical analyses
Results and Discussion
    1. Identification and quantification of Z. coreanumoil components
    2. Effects of Z. coreanum oil and estragole on cellviability
    3. Effects of Z. coreanum oil and estragole on thehexosaminidase activity in dinitrophenylatedbovine serum albumin (DNP-BSA)-stimulatedRBL-2H3 cells
    4. Effects of Z. coreanum oil and estragole on ROSlevel
    5. Z. coreanum oil and estragole suppressLPS-stimulated NO production
    6. Z. coreanum oil and estragole differentiallyregulate LPS-induced expression of solubleN-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachmentprotein receptor (SNARE) proteins
References

• Si-Young Ha(Ph.D candidate, Division of Environmental Forest Science/Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea)
• Ji-Young Jung(Ph.D research professor, Division of Environmental Forest Science/Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea)
• Jae-Kyung Yang(Ph.D professor, Division of Environmental Forest Science/Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author