| Summary: | The genus <i>Zingiberaceae</i> has been widely used for phytotherapeutic purposes in traditional medicine throughout the world for its anti-inflammatory activity. Experimental studies have established that inflammation caused by chronic infections represents a risk factor for different forms of cancer. The objective of this study was focused on determining the anti-inflammatory capacity and cytotoxic activity of aqueous extracts of <i>Elettaria cardamomum</i> (cardamom) and <i>Curcuma Longa</i> (turmeric). The extracts were obtained by maceration and, through GC-MS/MS, a total of 11 different chemical components were determined in the aqueous extract of cardamom and 7 in the extract of turmeric. The main compounds found in cardamom and turmeric were <i>α</i>-terpinyl acetate (54.46%) and <i>β</i>-turmerone (33.45%), respectively. RT-qPCR results showed significantly lower gene expression levels of innate inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-<i>α</i>) compared to the control (LPS). Also, it was observed that the extracts do not possess cytotoxic activity against different cell lines, where <i>E. cardamomum</i> showed EC<sub>50</sub> (µg/mL) of 473.84 (HeLa cells), 237.36 (J774A.1 cells), 257.51 (Vero E6 cells), and 431.16 (Balb/C peritoneal cells) and <i>C. longa</i> showed EC<sub>50</sub> (µg/mL) of 351.17 (HeLa cells), 430.96 (J774A.1 cells), 396.24 (Vero E6 cells), and 362.86 (Balb/C peritoneal cells). The results of this research suggest that natural extracts of <i>E. cardamomum</i> and <i>C. longa</i> possess anti-inflammatory effects and no cytotoxic activity against HeLa, J774A.1, Vero E6, and Balb/C peritoneal cell lines. Finally, it was observed that the extracts also decreased nitric oxide (NO) production in peritoneal macrophages.
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