Polysaccharide isolated from seeds of Plantago asiatica L. induces maturation of dendritic cells through MAPK and NF-κB pathway

Sulforaphane-mediated immune regulation through inhibition of NF-kB and MAPK signaling pathways in human dendritic cells

Inflammation and immune responses are intricately intertwined processes crucial for maintaining homeostasis and combating against pathogens. These processes involve complex signaling pathways, notably the Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NF-κB) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways, which play crucial roles. Sulforaphane (SFN), a nutraceutic, has emerged as a potential regulator of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties. However, limited knowledge exists regarding SFN's effects on immune cell modulation. This study aimed to assess the immunomodulatory capacity of SFN pretreatment in human dendritic cells (DCs), followed by exposure to a chronic inflammatory environment induced by lipopolysaccharide. SFN pretreatment was found to inhibit the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, resulting in phenotypic changes in DCs characterized by a slight reduction in the expression of surface markers, as well as a decrease of TNF-α/IL-10 ratio. Additionally, SFN pretreatment enhanced the proliferation of Treg-cells and promoted the production of IL-10 by B-cells before exposure to the chronic inflammatory environment. Furthermore, these changes in DCs were found to be influenced by the inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK pathways (specifically p38 MAPK and JNK), suggesting that these pathways may play a role in the regulation of the differentiation of adaptive immune responses (proliferation of T- and IL-10-producing regulatory-cells), prior to SFN pretreatment. Our findings suggest that SFN pretreatment may induce a regulatory response by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways in an inflammatory environment. SFN could be considered a promising strategy for utilizing functional foods to protect against inflammation and develop immunoregulatory interventions.

Plantago asiatica L. polysaccharides: Physiochemical properties, structural characteristics, biological activity and application prospects: A review

Plantago asiatica L. (PAL), a traditional herb, has been used in East Asia for thousands of years. In recent years, polysaccharides extracted from PAL have garnered increased attention due to their outstanding pharmacological and biological properties. Previous research has established that PAL-derived polysaccharides exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antitumor, antimicrobial, immune-regulatory, intestinal health-promoting, antiviral, and other effects. Nevertheless, a comprehensive summary of the research related to Plantago asiatica L. polysaccharides (PALP) has not been reported to date. In this paper, we review the methods for isolation and purification, physiochemical properties, structural features, and biological activities of PALP. To provide a foundation for research and application in the fields of medicine and food, this review also outlines the future development prospects of plantain polysaccharides.

Harnessing the power of traditional Chinese medicine monomers and compound prescriptions to boost cancer immunotherapy

At present, cancer is the largest culprit that endangers human health. The current treatment options for cancer mainly include surgical resection, adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but their therapeutic effects and long-term prognosis are unsatisfactory. Immunotherapy is an emerging therapy that has completely transformed the therapeutic landscape of advanced cancers, and has tried to occupy a place in the neoadjuvant therapy of resectable tumors. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy due to the immunological and molecular features of the tumors. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a new perspective for cancer treatment and is considered to have the potential as promising anti-tumor drugs considering its immunoregulatory properties. This review concludes commonly used TCM monomers and compounds from the perspective of immune regulatory pathways, aiming to clearly introduce the basic mechanisms of TCM in boosting cancer immunotherapy and mechanisms of several common TCM. In addition, we also summarized closed and ongoing trials and presented prospects for future development. Due to the significant role of immunotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), TCM combined with immunotherapy should be emphasized in NSCLC.

Sustainable approaches on industrial food wastes to value-added products - A review on extraction methods, characterizations, and its biomedical applications

The concept of zero waste discharge has been gaining importance in recent years towards attaining a sustainable environment. Fruit processing industries generate millions of tons of byproducts like fruit peels and seeds, and their disposal poses an environmental threat. The concept of extracting value-added bioactive compounds from bio-waste is an excellent opportunity to mitigate environmental issues. To date, significant research has been carried out on the extraction of essential biomolecules, particularly polysaccharides from waste generated by fruit processing industries. In this review article, we aim to summarize the different extraction methodologies, characterization methods, and biomedical applications of polysaccharides extracted from seeds and peels of different fruit sources. The review also focuses on the general scheme of extraction of polysaccharides from fruit waste with special emphasis on various methods used in extraction. Also, the various types of polysaccharides obtained from fruit processing industrial wastes are explained in consonance with the important techniques related to the structural elucidation of polysaccharides obtained from seed and peel waste. The use of seed polysaccharides as pharmaceutical excipients and the application of peel polysaccharides possessing biological activities are also elaborated.

Phytochemicals, Biological Activities, Molecular Mechanisms, and Future Prospects of Plantago asiatica L

Plantago asiatica L. has been used as a vegetable and nutritious food in Asia for thousands of years. According to recent phytochemical and pharmacological research, the active compositions of the plant contribute to various health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer. This article reviews the 87 components of the plant and their structures, as well as their biological activities and molecular research progress, in detail. This review provides valuable reference material for further study, production, and application of P. asiatica, as well as its components in functional foods and therapeutic agents.

Antiviral Activity of Plantago asiatica Polysaccharide against Pseudorabies Virus In Vitro

Pseudorabies (PR) is an acute infectious disease of various domestic animals and wild animals caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV). It is mainly characterized by fever, itching, encephalomyelitis, and respiratory and neurological disorders. Plantago asiatica polysaccharide (PLP), extracted from the whole plant of Plantago asiatica L., showed immunomodulatory and antioxidation effects, but the antiviral activity had not been reported. In this study, the inhibitory effect of PLP on PRV infection was studied. Our study first revealed that PLP could inhibit PRV infection in a dose-dependent manner. By adding PLP at different stages of the virus's life cycle, we revealed that PLP could reduce the attachment and penetration of PRV into PK15 cells. The inhibition of PRV attachment was better than inhibition of PRV penetration. However, PLP did not affect PRV replication and inactivation. In addition, PLP decreased the intracellular ROS levels in infected cells significantly, and ROS scavenger NAC decreased PRV infection. Therefore, our study provided preliminary data of anti-PRV activity of PLP, which was established to be a novel anti-PRV infection agent.

Review of structure and bioactivity of the Plantago (Plantaginaceae) polysaccharides

Plantago (Plantaginaceae) is an herbal plant, which is used in folk medicine, functional food, and dietary supplement products. Recent pharmacological and phytochemical studies have shown that polysaccharides isolated from Plantago have multiple medicinal and nutritional benefits, including improve intestinal health, hypoglycemic effect, immunomodulatory effect, etc. These health and pharmacological benefits are of great interest to the public, academia, and biotechnology industries. This paper provides an overview of recent advances in the physicochemical, structural features, and biological effects of Plantago polysaccharides and highlights the similarities and differences of the polysaccharides from different species and in different parts, including leaves, seeds, and husks. The scientific support for its use as a prebiotic is also addressed. The purpose of this review is to provide background as well as useful and up-to-date information for future research and applications of these polysaccharides.

A Polysaccharide From the Whole Plant of Plantago asiatica L. Enhances the Antitumor Activity of Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy Against Breast Cancer

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that mediate T-cell immune responses. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases and its mortality rate is higher than any other cancer in both humans and canines. Plantain polysaccharide (PLP), extracted from the whole plant of Plantago asiatica L., could promote the maturation of DCs. In this research, we found that PLP could upregulate the maturation of DCs both in vitro and in vivo. PLP-activated DCs could stimulate lymphocytes’ proliferation and differentiate naive T cells into cytotoxic T cells. Tumor antigen-specific lymphocyte responses were enhanced by PLP and CIPp canine breast tumor cells lysate-pulsed DCs, and PLP and CIPp-cell-lysate jointly stimulated DCs cocultured with lymphocytes having the great cytotoxicity on CIPp cells. In the 4T1 murine breast tumor model, PLP could control the size of breast tumors and improve immunity by recruiting DCs, macrophages, and CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. These results indicated that PLP could achieve immunotherapeutic effects and improve immunity in the breast tumor model.

Clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine treatment for bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common disease among women of reproductive age, with a serious impact on their daily life and health. At present, the most common treatment for BV is to take antibiotics, which results in good short-term treatment effects, but poor long-term effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat BV for over a millennium, with little risk of triggering drug resistance and adverse effects. Based on syndrome differentiation, there are three oral TCM treatment strategies for BV, including invigorating spleen, clearing dampness and heat, and nourishing kidney. The oral TCM prescriptions, such as Yi Huang decoction, Longdan Xiegan decoction, Zhibai Dihaung decoction, and so on are commonly used. Topical TCM treatment is also popular in China. According to the research results of pharmacological effects of active TCM ingredients, the most potential mechanisms of TCM for BV treatment are immune-enhancement effects, antibacterial activity, and estrogen-liked effects. Nonetheless, the multi-constituent of herbs may result in possible disadvantages to BV treatment, and the pharmacological mechanisms of TCM need further study. Here, we provide an overview of TCM compounds and their preparations used for BV, based on the pathogenesis and the potential therapeutic mechanisms, therefore providing a reference for further studies.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) assists inorganic arsenic-induced immune tolerance in murine dendritic cells

Inorganic arsenic, a well-known human carcinogen, poses a major threat to global health. Given the immunosuppressive potentials of inorganic arsenic as well as limited understanding of this metalloid on antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs), we systematically screened the immune targets in response to arsenic treatment, as well as its possible molecular mechanism in cultured murine DCs. Our results denoted that arsenite (As) significantly induced immune tolerance by down-regulating the expression of phenotypic molecules, pro-inflammatory factors and T-lymphocyte helper (Th)1/Th17-inducible cytokines in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated myeloid-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Inconsistent with dampened phosphorylation of immune-related proteins (nuclear factor kappa-B) NF-κB, p38 and JNK, the metalloid drastically induced the expression of Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein, which enlightened us to continuously explore the possible roles of HO-1 pathway in As-induced immune tolerance in BMDCs. In this respect, immunosuppressive properties of HO-1 pathway in BMDCs were firstly confirmed through pharmacological overexpression of HO-1 by both CoPP and CORM-2. By contrast, limited HO-1 expression by HO-1 inhibitor ZnPP specifically alleviated As-mediated down-regulation of CD80, chemokine factor C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α, Interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-6, which reminds us the peculiarity of HO-1 in As-induced immune tolerance in murine DCs. Based on these experimental findings, we postulated the immunosuppressive property of inorganic arsenic might be mediated partially by HO-1 in DCs, thus contributing to the interactions of DCs-polarized differentiation of T-lymphocyte subtype as well as the development of infections and malignant diseases.

Tropomodulin1 Expression Increases Upon Maturation in Dendritic Cells and Promotes Their Maturation and Immune Functions

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells. Upon maturation, DCs express costimulatory molecules and migrate to the lymph nodes to present antigens to T cells. The actin cytoskeleton plays key roles in multiple aspects of DC functions. However, little is known about the mechanisms and identities of actin-binding proteins that control DC maturation and maturation-associated functional changes. Tropomodulin1 (Tmod1), an actin-capping protein, controls actin depolymerization and nucleation. We found that Tmod1 was expressed in bone marrow-derived immature DCs and was significantly upregulated upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced DC maturation. By characterizing LPS-induced mature DCs (mDCs) from Tmod1 knockout mice, we found that compared with Tmod1+/+ mDCs, Tmod1-deficient mDCs exhibited lower surface expression of costimulatory molecules and chemokine receptors and reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that Tmod1 deficiency retarded DC maturation. Tmod1-deficient mDCs also showed impaired random and chemotactic migration, deteriorated T-cell stimulatory ability, and reduced F-actin content and cell stiffness. Furthermore, Tmod1-deficient mDCs secreted high levels of IFN-β and IL-10 and induced immune tolerance in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model. Mechanistically, Tmod1 deficiency affected TLR4 signaling transduction, resulting in the decreased activity of MyD88-dependent NFκB and MAPK pathways but the increased activity of the TRIF/IRF3 pathway. Rescue with exogenous Tmod1 reversed the effect of Tmod1 deficiency on TLR4 signaling. Therefore, Tmod1 is critical in regulating DC maturation and immune functions by regulating TLR4 signaling and the actin cytoskeleton. Tmod1 may be a potential target for modulating DC functions, a strategy that would be beneficial for immunotherapy for several diseases.

Sulfated modification, characterization, immunomodulatory activities and mechanism of the polysaccharides from Cyclocarya paliurus on dendritic cells

In this study, a crude and purified polysaccharide from Cyclocarya paliurus (CPP, CPP_0.05) were performed with chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine (CSA-Pyr) method to obtain sulfated derivatives (S-CPP, S-CPP_0.05). After comparatively investigating, characterization results showed that the modifications were successful. Polysaccharides were used to culture mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs) to evaluate their immunomodulatory activity and explore mechanism. The functional activity of CPP was significantly stronger than that of the purified polysaccharide CPP_0.05. Meanwhile, S-CPP showed stronger immunomodulatory activity than CPP through determination of cytokine expression levels. We found that p-JNK, p-p38MAPK and NF-κB p65 proteins were significantly increased by stimulus of CPP and S-CPP, blocking TLR2/4 could significantly decreased proteins above which proved that immune regulation effect of CPP and S-CPP on DCs was performed via MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways by triggering TLR2/4. S-CPP could serve as potential immunomodulatory agents used as complementary medicine or functional foods.

Plantago asiatica Seed Extracts Alleviated Blood Pressure in Phase I⁻Spontaneous Hypertension Rats

Arterial pressure of each new breeding spontaneous Phase-1 hypertension (P1-HT) rat was recorded for 5 min by intravascular femoral artery catheter that served as a reference value prior to treatment. In the acute antihypertensive test, 0.36 g/kg Bwt of Plantago asiatica seed extract (PSE) was administered, via gavage feeding, to P1-HT rats, and the arterial pressures were continuously recorded for 1 h. The acute antihypertensive effects of PSE on P1-HT rats appeared within 15 min after PSE administration and lasted over 1 h with systolic pressure decreased 31.5 mmHg and diastolic pressure decreased 18.5 mmHg. The systolic pressure decreased 28 mmHg and diastolic pressure decreased 16 mmHg in P1-HT rats when simultaneously compared with verapamil hydrochloride (reference drug), whereas there were no significant differences in the pretreated reference values of acute PSE treatment and the untreated control. In the chronic test, P1-HT rats received 0.36 g/kg Bwt day of PSE or equal volume of water for 4 weeks via oral gavage, and the lower blood pressure tendencies of chronic PSE treatment were also found when compared with the controls. The antihypertensive values of PSE were also confirmed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Oral administration with PSE can effectively moderate blood pressure within an hour, while taking PSE daily can control the severity of hypertension, suggesting PSE is a potentially antihypertensive herb.