Elucidation of colon-protective efficacy of diosgenin in experimental TNBS-induced colitis: inhibition of NF-κB/IkB-α and Bax/Caspase-1 signaling pathways

Zhumeria majdae essential oil attenuates TNBS-induced colitis in rats by regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Zhumeria majdae, a unique native plant of southern Iran, has been traditionally used to treat various health issues. Preclinical studies suggest its therapeutic potential for immunological and inflammatory disorders. This study investigates the effect of Z. majdae essential oil (ZMEO) on TNBS-induced colitis in rats, focusing on the NF-κB/p38 MAPK/Nrf-2 pathway.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Forty-eight male Wistar rats were used, with all groups except the sham group receiving a single intra-rectal dose of TNBS. Three different doses of ZMEO and also 1 mg/kg dexamethasone were administered orally for 2 weeks. Colon tissue was analyzed for ulcer index, histological changes, inflammatory cytokines, apoptotic factors, and levels of NF-κB, p38 MAPK, and Nrf-2.

KEY RESULTS

GC-mass analysis identified 25 compounds with linalool (52.01%) and camphor (31.01%) as the major compounds in ZMEO. ZMEO ameliorated colon injuries, reduced ulcer index, and prevented the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and pro-apoptotic proteins. It also increased the levels of IL-10 and Bcl-2 proteins. Furthermore, ZMEO decreased the expression of p-NF-κB and p38 MAPK while increasing the expression of pNrf-2.

CONCLUSIONS

ZMEO mitigates colon damage associated with IBD by suppressing inflammatory cytokines and pro-apoptotic proteins possibly through modulating the NF-κB/p38 MAPK/Nrf-2 signaling pathway.

Harnessing nature's pharmacy: investigating natural compounds as novel therapeutics for ulcerative colitis

Backgrounds

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and UC diagnosis rates continue to rise throughout the globe. The research and development of new drugs for the treatment of UC are urgent, and natural compounds are an important source. However, there is a lack of systematic summarization of natural compounds and their mechanisms for the treatment of UC.

Methods

We reviewed the literature in the databases below from their inception until July 2023: Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data, to obtain information on the relationship between natural compounds and UC.

Results

The results showed that 279 natural compounds treat UC through four main mechanisms, including regulating gut microbiota and metabolites (Mechanism I), protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier (Mechanism II), regulating intestinal mucosal immune response (Mechanism III), as well as regulating other mechanisms (Mechanism Ⅳ) such as cellular autophagy modulation and ferroptosis inhibition. Of these, Mechanism III is regulated by all natural compounds. The 279 natural compounds, including 62 terpenoids, 57 alkaloids, 52 flavonoids, 26 phenols, 19 phenylpropanoids, 9 steroids, 9 saponins, 8 quinonoids, 6 vitamins, and 31 others, can effectively ameliorate UC. Of these, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids have the greatest potential for treating UC. It is noteworthy to highlight that a total of 54 natural compounds exhibit their therapeutic effects by modulating Mechanisms I, II, and III.

Conclusion

This review serves as a comprehensive resource for the pharmaceutical industry, researchers, and clinicians seeking novel therapeutic approaches to combat UC. Harnessing the therapeutic potential of these natural compounds may significantly contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of patients with UC and promotion of disease-modifying therapies in the future.

In Silico Analysis of Pyeongwi-San Involved in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment Using Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics

BACKGOUND

Pyeongwi-san (PWS) is a widely used formula for treating digestive disorders in Korea and China. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by progressive inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Emerging evidence supports the protective effect of PWS against IBD, but specific mechanisms are still elusive.

METHODS

Active compounds of PWS were screened from the medicinal materials and chemical compounds in Northeast Asian traditional medicine (TM-MC) in the consideration of drug-likeness and oral bioavailability. Target candidates of active compounds were predicted using the ChEMBL database. IBD-related targets were obtained from the GeneCards and DisGeNET databases. The network of composition-targets-disease was constructed. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were analyzed. Molecular docking was used to simulate the binding affinity of active compounds on target proteins and molecular dynamics was used to validate the molecular docking result.

RESULTS

A total of 26 core target proteins of PWS were related to IBD. Enrichment analysis suggested that PWS is highly associated with tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, apoptosis, and the collapse of tight junctions. Moreover, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation proposed β-eudesmol and (3R,6R,7S)-1,10-bisaboladien-3-ol to ameliorate IBD through the binding to TNF and MMP9, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Present in silico analysis revealed potential pathways and insight of PWS to regulate IBD. These results imply that the therapeutic effect of PWS might be achieved via an inhibitory effect.

Qingre Xingyu recipe exerts inhibiting effects on ulcerative colitis development by inhibiting TNFα/NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway and macrophage M1 polarization

As a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC) imposes a significant burden on public healthcare worldwide due to its increasing morbidity. Chinese medicines are regarded as potent therapeutic agents for UC treatment with minimal side effects. In the present study, we sought to determine the novel role of a traditional medicine Qingre Xingyu (QRXY) recipe in the development of UC and aimed to contribute to the currently available knowledge about UC by exploring the downstream mechanism of QRXY recipe in UC. Mouse models of UC were established by injections with dextran sulphate sodium (DSS), where the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was determined followed by an analysis of their interactions. The DSS-treated NLRP3 knockout (^-/-) Caco-2 cell model was successfully constructed. The in vitro and in vivo effects of the QRXY recipe on UC were investigated with the determination of disease activity index (DAI), histopathological scores, transepithelial electrical resistance, FITC-dextran, as well as cell proliferation and apoptosis. In vivo and in vitro experiments indicated that the QRXY recipe reduced the degree of intestinal mucosal injury of UC mice and functional damage of DSS-induced Caco-2 cells by inhibition of the TNFα/NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway and M1 polarization of macrophages, and TNFα overexpression or NLRP3 knockdown could counterweigh the therapeutic effects of QRXY recipe. To conclude, our study elicited that QRXY inhibited the expression of TNFα and inactivated the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β pathway, thereby alleviating intestinal mucosal injury and relieving UC in mice.

Molecular Targets and Mechanisms of 6,7-Dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxyphenanthrene from Chinese Yam Modulating NF-κB/COX-2 Signaling Pathway: The Application of Molecular Docking and Gene Silencing

Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita) tuber has a significant effect of invigorating the intestine and improving the symptoms of long-term diarrhea according to the records of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Phenanthrene polyphenols from Chinese yam, with higher inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) than anti-inflammatory drugs, are an important material basis in alleviating ulcerative colitis via nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/COX-2 pathway, based on our previous research. The present study further explored the target and molecular mechanisms of phenanthrenes' modulation of the NF-κB/COX-2 signaling pathway by means of molecular docking and gene silencing. Firstly, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression of 6-hydroxy-2,4,7-trimethoxyphenanthrene (PC2)/6,7-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxyphe-nanthrene (PC4) were compared on TNF-α induced human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells. Secondly, molecular docking and dynamics simulation were implemented for PC2/PC4 and COX-2. Finally, COX-2 silencing was performed on TNF-α induced Caco-2 cells to confirm the target of PC4 on NF-κB/COX-2 pathway. Lower expression of IL-8 and TNF-α in PC4 treated Caco-2 cells indicated that PC4 had stronger anti-inflammatory activity than PC2. The binding of PC4 and COX-2 was stronger due to the hydrogen bond between hydroxyl group and Tyr385. No significant differences were found in phosphorylation nuclear factor kappa-B inhibitor alpha (pIkBα), phosphorylation NF-κB (pNF-κB) and phosphorylation extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2) expression between control and PC4 group after silencing, while these protein expressions significantly decreased in PC4 group without silencing, which confirmed that COX-2 was the important target for PC4 in alleviating ulcerative colitis. These findings indicate that PC4 was supposed to have inhibited NF-κB pathway mediated inflammation via suppression of positive feedback targeting COX-2.

Phytochemicals and Regulation of NF-kB in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: An Overview of In Vitro and In Vivo Effects

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing idiopathic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. They are mainly represented by two forms, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD can be associated with the activation of nuclear factors, such as nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), leading to increased transcription of pro-inflammatory mediators that result in diarrhea, abdominal pain, bleeding, and many extra-intestinal manifestations. Phytochemicals can interfere with many inflammation targets, including NF-kB pathways. Thus, this review aimed to investigate the effects of different phytochemicals in the NF-kB pathways in vitro and in vivo models of IBD. Fifty-six phytochemicals were included in this study, such as curcumin, resveratrol, kaempferol, sesamol, pinocembrin, astragalin, oxyberberine, berberine hydrochloride, botulin, taxifolin, naringin, thymol, isobavachalcone, lancemaside A, aesculin, tetrandrine, Ginsenoside Rk3, mangiferin, diosgenin, theanine, tryptanthrin, lycopene, gyngerol, alantolactone, mangostin, ophiopogonin D, fisetin, sinomenine, piperine, oxymatrine, euphol, artesunate, galangin, and nobiletin. The main observed effects related to NF-kB pathways were reductions in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and augmented occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1, and IL-10 expression levels. Moreover, phytochemicals can improve weight loss, stool consistency, and rectal bleeding in IBD. Therefore, phytochemicals can constitute a powerful treatment option for IBD in humans.

Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: The Mechanisms of Signaling Pathway Regulations

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common clinical inflammatory bowel disease characterized by repeated attacks, difficult treatment, and great harm to the physical and mental health of the patients. The occurrence and development of UC were closely related to the physiological and pathological processes, such as intestinal inflammatory reaction, oxidizing reaction, and immune response. Treatment of ulcerative colitis using Western medicine is often associated with a number of limitations and adverse events. There is a long history of using traditional Chinese medicine in dealing with this medical condition. Commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for the treatment of UC include Caulis Sargentodoxae, Flos Lonicerae, Fructus Cnidii, etc. Additionally, classic prescriptions such as Gegen Qinlian Formulae and Zuojin Pills can also be used to treat UC. To enrich the traditional Chinese medicine theory, the cognitive theory and perspective of network pharmacology and bioinformatics research of cell signal transduction mechanism of UC are emerging rapidly. Modern pharmacological studies focus on underlying mechanisms for the management of UC with Chinese medicine monomers, single Chinese medicines, and traditional Chinese medicine formulations, alleviating the symptoms of UC, controlling the development of intestinal inflammation, and restoring intestinal function through the regulation of key molecular signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt, NF-[Formula: see text]B, JAK/STAT, MAPK and Notch. By summarizing current research progressions, this review provides key references for the in-depth exploration of the mechanisms focused on signaling pathways for the clinical management of UC using traditional Chinese medicine.

Study on the Mechanism of Diosgenin Targeting STAT3 to Inhibit Colon Cancer Proliferation and Migration

To elucidate regulatory effects and molecular mechanisms of diosgenin on colon cancer, this study administered diosgenin at concentrations of 10 (low), 50 (medium), and 100 μmol/L (high concentration group) at the cell level, respectively. EdU, colony formation, and Transwell assays were implemented to determine SW480 cellular proliferation and migration. Assays of flow cytometry and TUNEL were employed to estimate cell apoptosis. Additionally, nude mouse tumorigenesis assay was used to further verify the regulatory function of diosgenin on colon cancer. The target protein of diosgenin was predicted via molecular docking. The results showed that all three concentrations of diosgenin could reduce colon cancer cellular proliferation and migration, and after diosgenin treatment, colon cancer cellular apoptosis was markedly increased, and the 100 μmol/L diosgenin group produced the most satisfactory inhibition on colon cancer cell proliferation. Ki67 expression was markedly reduced whereas those of Bax and caspase3 were greatly increased after diosgenin treatment. The nude mouse tumorigenesis assay indicated that the parameters of tumorous volume and mass of diosgenin treatment group were greatly decreased as compared to control, and as the concentration of diosgenin increased, the inhibitory effect was more significant. Molecular docking indicated that STAT3 served as a target protein of diosgenin. Moreover, after diosgenin treatment on colon cancer cells, the STAT3 expression was markedly reduced. The STAT3 overexpression would counteract the inhibitory effect of 50 μmol/L diosgenin in both suppressing colon cancer cellular proliferation and migration and promoting apoptosis. Taken together, all our outcomes demonstrated the diosgenin effects in not only inhibiting colon cancer cellular proliferation and migration but also promoting cancerous cellular apoptosis. Diosgenin is a regulatory player in targeting and regulating STAT3.

Probiotics Interact With Lipids Metabolism and Affect Gut Health

Probiotics have attracted much attention due to their ability to modulate host intestinal microbe, participate in nutrient metabolism or immunomodulatory. Both inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and bowel cancer are digestive system disease, which have become a global public health problem due to their unclear etiology, difficult to cure, and repeated attacks. Disturbed gut microbiota and abnormal lipid metabolism would increase the risk of intestinal inflammation. However, the link between lipid metabolism, probiotics, and IBD is unclear. In this review, we found that different lipids and their derivatives have different effects on IBD and gut microbes. ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and their derivatives resolvin E1, resolvin D can inhibit oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species activate NFκB and MAPk pathway. While ω-6 PUFAs linoleic acid and arachidonic acid can be derived into leukotrienes and prostaglandins, which will aggravate IBD. Cholesterol can be converted into bile acids to promote lipid absorption and affect microbial survival and colonization. At the same time, it is affected by microbial bile salt hydrolase to regulate blood lipids. Low denstiy lipoprotein (LDL) is easily converted into oxidized LDL, thereby promoting inflammation, while high denstiy lipoprotein (HDL) has the opposite effect. Probiotics compete with intestinal microorganisms for nutrients or ecological sites and thus affect the structure of intestinal microbiota. Moreover, microbial short chain fatty acids, bile salt hydrolase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, etc. can affect lipid metabolism and IBD. In conclusion, probiotics are directly or indirectly involved in lipids metabolism and their impact on IBD, which provides the possibility to explore the role of probiotics in improving gut health.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of novel diosgenin derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents

Thirty-two novel DG F-spiroacetal ring-opening derivatives, including 24 acetylated derivatives and 8 nitrogenous derivatives, were designed and synthesized from diosgenin (DG). The cytotoxicity of the novel derivatives was evaluated by MTT assay, except for compounds 4a, 4e, 4i, 4 l, 5a and 5 h, which were potentially cytotoxic to RAW264.7 cells, all the other derivatives had no significant cytotoxicity. The NO release inhibitory activities of novel derivatives were screened by Griess method. The results showed that the anti-inflammatory activity of the DG acetylated derivatives was stronger than the nitrogenous derivatives, and 4a-4 m containing acetyl groups at the 3-position may have better anti-inflammatory effects than 5a-5 k containing free hydroxyl groups. In ELISA assay, compound 4 m exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of NO in RAW264.7 cells activated by LPS with IC₅₀ values 0.449 ± 0.050 μM. The results of docking experiments showed that 4 m has a good affinity for p65 protein.

The role of diosgenin in crohn’s disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic idiopathic inflammation that can grossly affect the entire gastrointestinal tract (GIT) from the mouth to the anus. Crohn’s disease is the most known type of IBD and has been the focus of attention due to its increase in prevalence worldwide. Although the etiology is yet to be elucidated, recent studies have pointed out Crohn’s disease to arise from a complex interaction between environmental influences, genetic predisposition, and altered gut microbiota, resulting in dysregulated adaptive and innate responses. The presenting hallmarks of Crohn’s disease may include weight loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, or chills. Treatment is usually done with many approved immunosuppressive drugs and surgery. However, a promising avenue from natural compounds is a safer therapy due to its safe natural active ingredients and the strong activity it shows in the treatment and management of diseases. Diosgenin, “a major biologically active natural steroidal sapogenin found in Chinese yam,” has been widely reported as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of various classes of disorders such as hyperlipidemia, inflammation, diabetes, cancer, infection, and immunoregulation. In this review, an analysis of literature data on diosgenin employed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of Crohn’s disease is approached, to strengthen the scientific database and curtail the dreadful impact of Crohn’s disease.

Therapeutic effect of baicalin on inflammatory bowel disease: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Baicalin (BI) is an important biologically active flavonoid isolated from the root of Scutellaria radix (Huang Qin). Traditionally Scutellaria radix was the common drug of dysentery. As the main flavonoid compound, there is a distribution tendency of baicalin to the intestinal tract and it has a protective effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to compile up-to-date and comprehensive information on the efficacy of baicalin in vitro and in vivo, about treating inflammatory bowel disease. Relevant information on the therapeutic potential of baicalin against inflammatory bowel disease was collected from the Web of Science, Pubmed and so on. Additionally, a few books and magazines were also consulted to get the important information.

RESULTS

The mechanisms of baicalin against inflammatory bowel disease mainly include anti-inflammation, antioxidant, immune regulation, maintenance of intestinal barrier, maintenance of intestinal flora balance. Also, BI can relieve parts of extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs), and prevent colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSION

Baicalin determined the promising therapeutic prospects as potential supplementary medicines for the treatment of IBD.