The essential oils were prepared from Aster spathulifolius (ASE) and Vitex rotundifolia (VRE) by
hydrodistillation and their chemical compositions were investigated by GC–MS. Analysis of ASE provided 15
components and eight of which were identified sesquiterpene compounds. The major components in ASE
included germacrene D (35.1 %), trans-caryophyllene (15.9 %) and trans-phytol (14.9 %). On the other hand,
VRE provided manoyl oxide (14.3%), α-terpineol (13.1 %) and α-pinene (10.0 %) as major ingredients. To assess
the anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oils, the production of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor
(TNF)-α were monitored using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. In this test, ASE
and VRE were appeared to suppress both NO and TNF-α synthesis in dose-dependent manner. The results
indicate that VRE and ASE could be useful in cosmetic applications as natural products possessing antiinflammatory
efficacy.