An Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Thai Traditional Polyherbal Recipe TPDM6315 in LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages and TNF-α-Induced 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Natural product/diet-based regulation of macrophage polarization: Implications in treatment of inflammatory-related diseases and cancer

Macrophages are phagocytic cells with important physiological functions, including the digestion of cellular debris, foreign substances, and microbes, as well as tissue development and homeostasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) shapes the aggressiveness of cancer, and the biological and cellular interactions in this complicated space can determine carcinogenesis. TME can determine the progression, biological behavior, and therapy resistance of human cancers. The macrophages are among the most abundant cells in the TME, and their functions and secretions can determine tumor progression. The education of macrophages to M2 polarization can accelerate cancer progression, and therefore, the re-education and reprogramming of these cells is promising. Moreover, macrophages can cause inflammation in aggravating pathological events, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurological disorders. The natural products are pleiotropic and broad-spectrum functional compounds that have been deployed as ideal alternatives to conventional drugs in the treatment of cancer. The biological and cellular interactions in the TME can be regulated by natural products, and for this purpose, they enhance the M1 polarization of macrophages, and in addition to inhibiting proliferation and invasion, they impair the chemoresistance. Moreover, since macrophages and changes in the molecular pathways in these cells can cause inflammation, the natural products impair the pro-inflammatory function of macrophages to prevent the pathogenesis and progression of diseases. Even a reduction in macrophage-mediated inflammation can prevent organ fibrosis. Therefore, natural product-mediated macrophage targeting can alleviate both cancerous and non-cancerous diseases.

Effectiveness of Ya-Samarn-Phlae in diabetic wound healing: Evidence from in vitro studies and a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Ya-Samarn-Phlae (YaSP) has traditionally been widely used in southern Thailand for treating chronic and infected wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers. However, there are only a limited number of clinical studies supporting the use of this polyherbal formulation. Therefore, the present work aims to provide clinical evidence to support the application of YaSP, prepared according to a standardized traditional procedure (T-YaSP). Additionally, its potential chemical markers and wound healing-related biological activities were examined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The in vitro wound healing-related biological activities of YaSP ethanol extract and T-YaSP, including antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis, inhibition and eradication of staphylococcal biofilm, anti-inflammatory effects, and enhancement of human dermal fibroblast migration in scratch wounds, were examined using well-established protocols. The chemical profiles of the ethanol extract of YaSP and T-YaSP were compared, and with promising chemical markers, arecoline, alpha-mangostin, and curcumin were selected and quantified using the HPLC method. A prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study was conducted over 12 weeks to evaluate the efficacy of the YaSP solution as an adjunct therapy, combined with standard wound care, for diabetic ulcers compared to standard treatment.

RESULTS

The YaSP extract reduces NO production and can scavenge NO radicals in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Additionally, in a scratch assay, this extract and one of its herbal components, Curcuma longa, enhance the migration of human dermal fibroblasts. T-YaSP, containing 2.412 ± 0.002 mg/g of arecoline, 2.399 ± 0.005 mg/g of curcumin, and 0.017 ± 0.000 mg/g of α-mangostin, has shown the ability to inhibit the development and eradicate the mature biofilm of S. epidermidis. The use of T-YaSP as an adjunct therapy led to a significantly higher proportion of patients achieving healing within six weeks compared to the standard treatment group (36%/9 patients vs. 4%/1 patient; p = 0.013). After 12 weeks, 19 out of 25 patients in the T-YaSP group experienced complete healing, whereas only four patients in the standard treatment group achieved complete wound healing (76% in the T-YaSP group vs. 16% in the control group; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results presented here represent the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of the traditional polyherbal solution, T-YaSP, which exhibits a wide range of wound healing-related activities. Utilizing T-YaSP as an adjunctive treatment resulted in a significant improvement in the number of type 2 diabetic patients achieving complete healing. However, to explore and utilize YaSP further, conducting a double-blind, randomized controlled trial with a larger population is necessary.

Neuroprotective Effect of Lithospermum officinale Callus Extract on Inflamed Primary Microglial Cells

BACKGROUND

Plants that have therapeutic features for humans or animals are commonly referred to as "medicinal plants". They produce secondary metabolites with antioxidant, antimicrobial and/or anti-cancer effects. Lithospermum officinale, known as European stone seed, is a famous medicinal herb. However, due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PzAl) in the root extract of L.officinal, there are therapeutic limitations to this herb.

OBJECTIVE

This research was devoted to the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory capacity of methanolic extracts of L. officinale callus (LoE) (fresh cells) on rat microglial cells, the immune cells of the Central Nervous System, which play an essential role in the responses to neuroinflammation.

METHODS

Primary microglia were obtained from neonatal Wistar rats (1 to 3-days old), and then treated with various concentration of CfA and methanolic extracts of 17 and 31-day-old L. officinale callus before LPS-stimulation. In addition to HPLC analysis of the extracts, viability, nitric oxide production, and evaluation of pro-inflammatory genes and cytokines in the inflamed microglia were investigated by MTT, Griess methos, qrt-PCR, and ELISA.

RESULTS

Methanolic extract of the 17-day-old callus of L. officinale exhibited anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-stimulated microglial cells much higher than observed for CfA. The data were further supported by the decreased expression of Nos2, Tnf-α, and Cox-2 mRNA and the suppression of TNF-α and IL-1β release in the activated microglial cells pretreated with the effective dose of LoE (0.8 mg mL-1).

CONCLUSION

It was assumed that the better anti-neuroinflammatory performance of LoE than CfA in LPS-activated primary microglia could be a result of the synergism of the components of the extract and the lipophilic nature of RsA as the main phenolic acid of LoE. Considering that LoE shows a high antioxidant capacity and lacks PzAl, it is anticipated that LoE extract might be considered a reliable substitute to play a key role in the preparation of neuroprotective pharmaceutical formulas, which require in vivo research and further experiments.