Synergistic Herb-Herb Interaction of the Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Syzygium aromaticum and Rosmarinus officinalis Combination

Optimized combination of Cervus nippon (Sika deer), Angelica (Dangui), and Rehmannia (Suk-jihwang) mitigates LPS-induced inflammation: exploring signaling pathways through plasma metabolomics

This study aimed to determine the optimal combination of three anti-inflammatory materials [i.e., Cervus nippon Temminck (CT), Angelica gigas Nakai (AN), and Rehmannia glutinosa (RG)] for the strongest anti-inflammatory potential. Eighteen combinations of the three materials were tested in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells via assessing nitric oxide (NO). The best combination from in vitro studies was administered to LPS-treated C57BL/6J mice for five days. Subsequently, plasma metabolites were profiled by bioinformatics analyses and validations. As results, 2, 20, and 50 µg/mL of CT, AN, and RG (TM) were the most effective combination suppressing inflammation. In mice, TM mitigated hepatic inflammatory markers. Similarly, the metabolomics indicated that TM may suppress NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby alleviating hepatic inflammation. TM also decreased systemic and hepatic pro-inflammatory cytokines. Collectively, we found the optimal combination of TM for mitigating inflammation; thus further studies on safety, mechanisms, and clinical models are warranted for human applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01476-x.

Phenolic changes in a combined herbal extract of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, Houttuynia cordata, and Spirodela polyrhiza and alleviation of DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis in BALB/c mice

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease showing skin barrier dysfunction, eczematous lesions, severe itching, and abnormal immune responses. The aim of this study was to determine whether an herb combination of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE), Houttuynia cordata (HC), and Spirodela polyrhiza (SP) has a superior anti-AD effect. Forty-two compounds were identified in LE, HC, SP, and a combined herb extract of LE, HC, and SP (LHS) using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-Orbitrap mass spectrometer (MS). The concentration of flavonoid glycosides including orientin (luteolin-8-C-glucoside), quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside in the LHS was increased than in individual extracts. Furthermore, the treatment of LHS most effectively inhibited the increase of epidermal thickness, the number of mast cells, and the release of immunoglobulin E compared with that with each extract. These results suggest that the potential anti-AD effects of the LHS are due to the changes of bioactive compounds by the combination of herbs.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01329-7.

Effect of ophiopogonin D on the pharmacokinetics and transport of cryptotanshinone during their co-administration and the potential mechanism

Cryptotanshinone and ophiopogonin D are sourced from herbs with similar indications. It is necessary to evaluate their interaction to provide a reference for their clinical prescriptions. The co-administration of cryptotanshinone (30 and 60 mg/kg) and ophiopogonin D was carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats and the pharmacokinetics of cryptotanshinone were analyzed. The Caco-2 cells were employed to evaluate the transport of cryptotanshinone, and the metabolic stability was studied in the rat liver microsomes. Ophiopogonin D significantly increased the Cmax (from 5.56 ± 0.26 to 8.58 ± 0.71 μg/mL and from 15.99 ± 1.81 to 185.12 ± 1.43 μg/mL), half-life (21.72 ± 10.63 vs. 11.47 ± 3.62 h and 12.58 ± 5.97 vs. 8.75 ± 2.71 h) and decreased the clearance rate (0.697 ± 0.36 vs. 1.71 ± 0.15 L/h/kg) and (60 mg/kg and 0.101 ± 0.02 vs. 0.165 ± 0.05 L/h/kg) of cryptotanshinone. In vitro, ophiopogonin D significantly suppressed the transport of cryptotanshinone with the decreasing efflux rate and enhanced the metabolic stability with the reducing intrinsic clearance. The combination of cryptotanshinone and ophiopogonin D induced prolonged exposure and suppressed the transport of cryptotanshinone, which indicated the decreased bioavailability of cryptotanshinone.

Pharmacological Interaction of Quercetin Derivatives of Tilia americana and Clinical Drugs in Experimental Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pain syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain and CNS comorbidities. Tilia americana var. mexicana is a medicinal species used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and acute or chronic pain. However, its spectrum of analgesic efficacy for dysfunctional pain is unknown. To investigate a possible therapeutic alternative for FM-type pain, an aqueous Tilia extract (TE) and its flavonoid fraction (FF) containing rutin and isoquercitrin were evaluated alone and/or combined with clinical drugs (tramadol—TRA and pramipexol—PRA) using the reserpine-induced FM model in rats. Chromatographic analysis allowed the characterization of flavonoids, while a histological analysis confirmed their presence in the brain. TE (10–100 mg/kg, i.p.) and FF (10–300 mg/kg, i.p.) produced significant and dose-dependent antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects equivalent to TRA (3–10 mg/kg, i.p.) or PRA (0.01–1 mg/kg, s.c.). Nevertheless, the combination of FF + TRA or FF + PRA resulted in an antagonistic interaction by possible competitive action on the serotonin transporter or µ-opioid and D₂ receptors, respectively, according to the in silico analysis. Flavonoids were identified in cerebral regions because of their self-epifluorescence. In conclusion, Tilia possesses potential properties to relieve FM-type pain. However, the consumption of this plant or flavonoids such as quercetin derivatives in combination with analgesic drugs might reduce their individual benefits.

Roles of Syzygium in Anti-Cholinesterase, Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antioxidant: From Alzheimer’s Perspective

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. It is triggered by multifaceted burdens such as cholinergic toxicity, insulin resistance, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Syzygium plants are ethnomedicinally used in treating inflammation, diabetes, as well as memory impairment. They are rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds, which can be multi-target neuroprotective agents against AD. This review attempts to review the pharmacological importance of the Syzygium genus in neuroprotection, focusing on anti-cholinesterase, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Articles published in bibliographic databases within recent years relevant to neuroprotection were reviewed. About 10 species were examined for their anti-cholinesterase capacity. Most studies were conducted in the form of extracts rather than compounds. Syzygium aromaticum (particularly its essential oil and eugenol component) represents the most studied species owing to its economic significance in food and therapy. The molecular mechanisms of Syzygium species in neuroprotection include the inhibition of AChE to correct cholinergic transmission, suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress markers, RIS production, enhancement of antioxidant enzymes, the restoration of brain ions homeostasis, the inhibition of microglial invasion, the modulation of ß-cell insulin release, the enhancement of lipid accumulation, glucose uptake, and adiponectin secretion via the activation of the insulin signaling pathway. Additional efforts are warranted to explore less studied species, including the Australian and Western Syzygium species. The effectiveness of the Syzygium genus in neuroprotective responses is markedly established, but further compound isolation, in silico, and clinical studies are demanded.

Optimizing the Method of Rosemary Essential Oils Extraction by Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)-Characterization and Toxicological Assessment

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a plant with needle-shaped leaves. It is mainly found in Mediterranean regions (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). Rosemary essential oil (EO) has several therapeutic virtues that were widely studied. However, the use of this EO is restricted due to its sensitivity to oxidation. Nanoencapsulation based on EO and polymers has been developed as one of the promising techniques to overcome this limitation. In this study, the emphasis was on optimizing the extraction and formulation of a food additive based on rosemary EO. In fact, the results showed that rosemary EO extraction depended on the parameters of the extraction process, and the optimum heating temperature and extraction time were determined using an experimental design methodology. The parameters for extraction were chosen as follows: heating temperature of 250 °C and a hydrodistillation time of 180 min. This optimization revealed that the maximum oil yield can be obtained. Rosemary EO was characterized by a dominance of 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene, borneol and camphene as well as by high antioxidant and antibacterial capacities with low acute toxicity. The obtained formulation of a stable rosemary EO powder can be used as a food additive in several industrial applications.