Crocin Attenuates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species and Ameliorates Monosodium Urate-Induced Mouse Peritonitis

Ellagic acid alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by inhibiting ROS/NLRP3 pathway activation and modulating gut microbiota in mice

Ulcerative colitis (UC) can cause severe oxidative stress in the colon, which can lead to tissue damage and an imbalance in the normal gut microbiota. Ellagic acid (EA) is one of the main types of plant polyphenols with improved pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. However, currently, the studies on the impact of EA on the gut microbiota and its potential to alleviate UC in mice through the ROS/NLRP3 pathway are limited. In this study, dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was used to construct a UC mouse model, which was then treated with EA as an intervention for UC. The results revealed that EA alleviated the trend of liver, spleen, and weight changes in UC mice and improved colon oxidative stress, inflammation, and pathological damage. Mechanistically, DSS-induced UC indicated a significant increase in ROS/NLRP3 pathway-related factors, whereas EA intervention activated the Nrf2 pathway to reduce these factors. Furthermore, the DSS group had a reduced abundance of Firmicutes (59.02%) and an increased abundance of Bacteroides and Proteobacterium by 1.8 times and 10.16%; however, EA intervention reversed these changes, thus alleviating UC. The findings of this study revealed that EA could significantly enhance the composition of gut microbiota in UC and reduce the inflammatory response, colonic damage as well as oxidative stress caused by DSS by regulating the ROS/NLRP3 pathway. These results provide novel perspectives on the prevention and treatment strategies of UC and highlight the therapeutic benefits of EA in managing colitis.

Unveiling molecular mechanisms of pigment synthesis in gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) fruits through integrative transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis

This study conducted a combined transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis in premature and mature developmental stages of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruits to identify the molecular mechanisms of pigment synthesis. The transcriptomics data produced high-quality clean data amounting to 46.98 gigabytes, exhibiting a mapping ratio of 86.36% to 91.43%. Transcriptomics analysis successfully identified about 3,914 differentially expressed genes which are associated with pivotal biological processes, including photosynthesis, chlorophyll, biosynthetic processes, and protein-chromophore linkage pathways. Functional diversity was clarified by the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) classification, which focused mainly on pigment synthesis functions. Pathways analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) revealed critical pathways affecting pigment development. Metabolomics studies were carried out utilizing Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography and mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). About 480 metabolites were detected via metabolomics investigation, the majority of that were significantly involved in pigment synthesis. Cluster and pathway analyses revealed the importance of pathways such as plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis, biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids and plant hormone signal transduction in pigment synthesis. Current research advances our comprehension of the underlying mechanisms at the molecular level governing pigment synthesis in gardenia fruits, furnishing valuable insights for subsequent investigations.

Crocin attenuates the lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation via expression of AIM2 and NLRP1 inflammasome in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease

The underlying mechanisms of inflammasome activation and the following dopaminergic neuron loss caused by chronic neuroinflammation remain entirely unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of crocin on the inflammasome complex within an experimental model of Parkinson's disease (PD) using male Wistar rats. PD was induced by the stereotaxic injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and crocin was intraperitoneally administrated one week before the lesion, and then treatment continued for 21 days. Open field (OF) and elevated plus maze tests were applied for behavioral assays. Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunostaining were performed on whole brain tissue, while dissected substantia nigra (SN) was used for immunoblotting and real-time PCR to evaluate compartments involved in PD. The time spent in the center of test was diminished in the LPS group, while treatment with 30 mg/kg of crocin significantly increased it. H&E staining showed a significant increase in cell infiltration at the site of LPS injection, which was ameliorated upon crocin treatment. Notably, crocin-treated animals showed a reduced number of caspase-1 and IL-1β positive cells, whereas the number of positive cells was increased in the LPS group (P < 0.05). A significant decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression was also found in the LPS group, while crocin treatment significantly elevated its expression. IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP1, and AIM2 genes expression significantly increased in the LPS group. On the other hand, treatment with 30 mg/kg of crocin significantly downregulated the expression levels of these genes along with NLRP1 (P < 0.05). In summary, our findings suggest that crocin reduces neuroinflammation in PD by diminishing IL-1β and caspase-1 levels, potentially by inhibiting the expression of AIM2 and NLRP1 genes.

Bioactives and Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the body's most complex physiological defense mechanisms against harmful substances [...].

Elucidation of Geniposide and Crocin Accumulation and Their Biosysnthsis-Related Key Enzymes during Gardenia jasminoides Fruit Growth

Gardenia jasminoides fruits are extensively grown worldwide, with a large harvest, and its major medicinal ingredients are geniposide and crocins. Research on their accumulation and biosynthsis-related enzymes is rare. In this study, the accumulation of geniposide and crocin of G. jasminoides fruits at different developmental stages were clarified by HPLC. The highest cumulative amount of geniposide was 2.035% during the unripe-fruit period, and the highest content of crocin was 1.098% during the mature-fruit period. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing was performed. A total of 50 unigenes encoding 4 key enzymes related in geniposide biosynthsis pathways were screened, and 41 unigenes encoding 7 key enzymes in the pathways of crocin were elucidated. It was found that the expression levels of differentially expressed genes of DN67890_c0_g1_i2-encoding GGPS, which is highly related to geniposide biosynthesis, and DN81253_c0_g1_i1-encoding lcyB, DN79477_c0_g1_i2-encoding lcyE, and DN84975_c1_g7_i11-encoding CCD, which are highly related to crocin biosynthesis, were consistent with the accumulation of geniposide and crocin content, respectively. The qRT-PCR results showed that the trends of relative expression were consistent with transcribed genes. This study provides insights for understanding the geniposide and crocin accumulation and biosynthsis during fruit development in G. jasminoides.