Objective: To investigate protective effect of essential oil from Fructus Alpinia zerumbet (EOFAZ) on human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) injury induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)

and explore its possible mechanism. Method: Experiment was randomly divided into 4 groups as following:blank group (serum free ECM)

model group (200 mg·L-1 of ox-LDL)

EOFAZ with high dose group (200 mg·L-1 of ox-LDL+100 μg·L-1 of EOFAZ) and low dose group (200 mg·L-1 of ox-LDL+10 μg·L-1 of EOFAZ).Pretreated with EOFAZ for 1 h and continue added ox-LDL for 24 hours.Then 3-(4

5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2

5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was employed to analyze cell survival rate and HE staining was used to observe morphology.Leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2/3 (JNK1/2/3) and phosphorylation-JNK1/2/3 (p-JNK1/2/3) protein was detected by Western blot analysis and JNK1/2/3 mRNA level was detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Result: EDFAZ could significantly enhance survival rate of HAECs

ameliorate pathological injury of cells

decrease LDH leakage content and inhibit phosphorylation of JNK1/2/3

but it had no effect on expression level of JNK1/2/3 protein and mRNA. Conclusion: EDFAZ can ameliorate HAECs injury status induced by ox-LDL

and its mechanism may be related to inhibition of phosphorylation of JNK1/2/3.