| Bioactivity | Salicylic acid (2-Hydroxybenzoic acid) inhibits cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity independently of transcription factor (NF-κB) activation[1]. |
| Invitro | Salicylic acid is an effective inhibitor of COX-2 activity at concentrations far below those required to inhibit NF-κB (20 mg/mL) activation. Salicylic acid inhibits prostaglandin E2 release when add together with interleukin 1β for 24 hr with an IC50 value of 5 μg/mL, an effect that is independent of NF-κB activation or COX-2 transcription or translation. Salicylic acid acutely (30 min) also causes a concentration-dependent inhibition of COX-2 activity measured in the presence of 0, 1, or 10 μM exogenous arachidonic acid. In contrast, when exogenous arachidonic acid is increased to 30 μM, Salicylic acid is a very weak inhibitor of COX-2 activity with an IC50 of >100 μg/mL. When added together with IL-1β for 24 hr, Salicylic acid causes a concentration-dependent inhibition of PGE2 release with an apparent IC50 value of approximately 5 μg/mL. The ability of Salicylic acid to directly inhibit COX-2 activity in A549 cells is tested after a 30-min exposure period, followed by the addition of different concentrations of exogenous arachidonic acid (1, 10, and 30 μM). Salicylic acid causes a concentration-dependent inhibition of COX-2 activity in the absence of added arachidonic acid or in the presence of 1 or 10 μM exogenous substrate with an apparent IC50 value of approximately 5 μg/mL. However, when the same experiments are performed using 30 μM arachidonic acid, Salicylic acid is an ineffective inhibitor of COX-2 activity, with an apparent IC50 value of more than 100 μg/mL, and achieves a maximal inhibition of less than 50%[1]. |
| Name | Salicylic acid |
| CAS | 69-72-7 |
| Formula | C7H6O3 |
| Molar Mass | 138.12 |
| Transport | Room temperature in continental US; may vary elsewhere. |
| Storage | 4°C, protect from light *In solvent : -80°C, 6 months; -20°C, 1 month (protect from light) |