This study investigates the anti-inflammatory effects of proteinaceous constituents from red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.
var.) juice (RC). The RC was first absorbed using activated charcoal (RCA), then partially purified using a Sephadex LH-20 column
and finally precipitated using saturated ammonium sulfate solution to obtain the protein-rich fractions. The crude and protein-rich samples from RC were administered to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - stimulated BALB/c mouse splenocyte cultures for 48 hours. The results showed that the lyophilized RC powder was rich in protein (30.2 ± 0.2%), carbohydrate (33.8 ± 6.0%), phenolics (2.8 ± 0.3%), and flavonoids (1.1 ± 0.1%). After the activated charcoal absorption treatment, the levels of protein (5.2 ± 0.0%), phenolics (0.2 ± 0.0%), and flavonoids (0.0 ± 0.1%) in RCA, except carbohydrate (39.2 ± 2.5%), were significantly decreased. The ammonium sulfate precipitated proteins from red cabbage juice, especially the chromatographic fraction 4 (F4) through the Sephadex LH-20 column,
significantly (P < 0.01) increased an anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL-10) from 1,547 ± 106 to 2,060 ± 83 pg/mL, but significantly
(P < 0.05) decreased a pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) secretions using LPS-stimulated mouse splenocytes from 1,137 ± 71 to 789 ± 167 pg/mL. This study suggests that the proteinaceous constituents of red cabbage juice show an anti-inflammatory potential via increasing IL-10, but decreasing TNF-α secretions using LPS-stimulated mouse splenocytes.