Pinellia ternata (PT) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. The raw material has a throat-irritating toxicity that is associated with the PT lectin (PTL). PTL is a monocot lectin isolated from the tubers of PT, which exhibits mouse peritoneal acute inflammatory effects in vivo. The present study aimed to investigate the pro-inflammatory effect of PTL on macrophages. PTL (50 µg/ml)‑stimulated macrophages enhanced the chemotactic activity of neutrophils. PTL (50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/ml) significantly elevated the production of cytokines [tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF-α) , interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑6]. PTL (25, 50 and 100 µg/ml) induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. PTL also caused transfer of p65 from the macrophage cytoplasm to the nucleus and activated the nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) signaling pathway. Scanning electron microscope images revealed severe cell swelling and membrane integrity defection of macrophages following PTL (100 µg/ml) stimulation, which was also associated with inflammation. PTL had pro‑inflammatory activity, involving induced neutrophil migration, cytokine release, ROS overproduction and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, which was associated with the activation of macrophages.