Alleviation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Like Symptoms and Control of Gut and Brain Responses with Oral Administration of Dolichos lablab L. in a Mouse Model

Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, edible uses, and quality control of Lablab semen Album: A systematic review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Lablab Semen Album (lablab), the white and dried mature fruit of Lablab purpureus in the Lablab genus of the Fabaceae family, is a renowned traditional medicinal herb with a long history of use in China. In Chinese medicine, lablab is often combined with other drugs to treat conditions such as weak spleen and stomach, loss of appetite, loose stools, excessive leucorrhoea, summer dampness and diarrhea, chest tightness, and abdominal distension.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Comprehensive information on lablab was gathered from databases including Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Springer, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, and ancient materia medica.

RESULTS

Lablab, a member of the lentil family, thrives in warm and humid climates, and is distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Traditionally, lablab is used to treat various ailments, such as spleen and stomach weakness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Phytochemical analyses reveal that lablab is a rich source of triterpenoid saponins, glucosides, volatile components, polysaccharides, and amino acids. Lablab extracts exhibit diverse biological activities, including hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antitumoral, antiviral properties, and more. Besides its medicinal applications, lablab is extensively used in the food industry due to its high nutrient content. Additionally, the quality of lablab can be regulated by determining the levels of key chemical components pivotal to its medicinal effects, ensuring the herb's overall quality.

CONCLUSION

Lablab is a promising medicinal and edible plant ingredient with diverse pharmacological effects, making it a valuable ingredient for food, pharmaceuticals, and animal husbandry. However, it has inherent toxicity if not properly prepared. Additionally, some traditional uses and pharmacological activities lack scientific validation due to incomplete methods, unclear results, and insufficient clinical data. Thus, further in vivo and in vitro studies on its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology, along with clinical efficacy evaluations, are needed to ensure lablab's safety and effectiveness. As an important traditional Chinese medicine, lablab deserves more attention.

Saponins from Dolichos lablab seeds with anti-inflammatory activity

As one of a traditional Chinese medicine with dual applications in both medicinal treatment and dietary consumption, the mature seeds of D. lablab were reported to be rich in saponins and have a good effect on inflammatory related diseases. However, the substance basis for its anti-inflammatory activity remains unclear. Thus, a comprehensive phytochemical investigation on triterpenoid saponins from D. lablab seeds was carried out, resulting in the isolation and identification of twenty-one new triterpenoid saponins including dolilabsaponins A1-A4, B, C, D1-D3, E-M, N1, N2 and O (1-21) along with thirteen known analogs (22-34). Notably, the known saponins, 31, 32, and 34 were obtained from Leguminosae family for the first time. The 1H and 13C NMR data of saponins 24 and 28 were firstly reported here. Additionally, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells model was utilized to assess inhibitory activities of compounds 1-34 on nitric oxide (NO) production. The results revealed that compounds 1-3, 9, 10, 13-15, 18, 22, 23 and 28-34 significantly suppressed the elevation of NO levels in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells at the concentration of 30 μM, exhibiting a concentration-dependent manner at 3, 10, and 30 μM. The results suggested that compounds 1-3, 9, 10, 13-15, 18, 22, 23, and 28-34 possessed potential anti-inflammatory activity. Further western blot assay demonstrated that 1, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 18 suppressed inflammatory response via down-regulated the expression levels of inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6.

Aromatic compounds from the seeds of Dolichos lablab L. with anti-inflammatory activity

Twenty-four aromatic compounds including five novel ones, dolilabphenosides A (1), B1 (2), B2 (3), C1 (4), and C2 (5) were obtained from the seeds of Dolichos lablab L. Their structures were established based on spectroscopic analyses and chemical reactions. Among the known compounds, 9, 10, 14, 17, 19, and 22-24 were gained from the family Leguminosae for the first time, and 6, 8, 11-13, 15, 16, 18, 20, as well as 21 were firstly identified from Dolichos genus. Moreover, the inhibitory effect evaluation of all the isolates against LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages suggested that compounds 1-3, 6, 7, 11-15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the novel compounds, dolilabphenosides A (1), B1 (2), B2 (3) were found to inhibit the secretion of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β.

Dolichos Lablab Linné Inhibits Bone Density Loss and Promotes Bone Union in Senile Osteoporosis through Osteogenesis

As populations continue to age, osteoporosis has emerged as an increasingly critical concern. Most advancements in osteoporosis treatment are predominantly directed toward addressing abnormal osteoclast activity associated with menopause, with limited progress in developing therapies that enhance osteoblast activity, particularly in the context of aging and fractures, and serious side effects associated with existing treatments have highlighted the necessity for natural-product-based treatments targeting senile osteoporosis and fractures. Dolichos lablab Linné (DL) is a natural product traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders, and its potential role in addressing bone diseases has not been extensively studied. In this research, we investigated the anti-osteoporosis and bone-union-stimulating effects of DL using the SAMP6 model, a naturally aged mouse model. Additionally, we employed MC3T3-E1 cells to validate DL's osteoblast-promoting effect and to assess the involvement of core mechanisms such as the BMP-2/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. The experimental results revealed that DL promoted the formation of osteoblasts and calcified nodules by upregulating both the BMP-2/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin mechanisms. Based on its observed effects, DL demonstrated the potential to enhance bone mineral density in aged osteoporotic mice and promote bone union in fractured mice. These findings indicate the promising therapeutic potential of DL for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone-related conditions, thus warranting further investigation and potential clinical applications.

The traditional herbal medicines mixture, Banhasasim-tang, relieves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome via modulation of TRPA1, NaV1.5 and NaV1.7 channels

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, remains unclear. Banhasasim-tang (BHSST), a traditional herbal medicines mixture, mainly used to treat GI-related diseases, may have a potential in IBS treatment. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain as the main clinical symptom, which seriously affects the quality of life.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of BHSST and its mechanisms of action in treating IBS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated the efficacy of BHSST in a zymosan-induced diarrhea-predominant animal model of IBS. Electrophysiological methods were used to confirm modulation of transient receptor potential (TRP) and voltage-gated Na⁺ (NaV) ion channels, which are associated mechanisms of action.

RESULTS

Oral administration of BHSST decreased colon length, increased stool scores, and increased colon weight. Weight loss was also minimized without affecting food intake. In mice administered with BHSST, the mucosal thickness was suppressed, making it similar to that of normal mice, and the degree of tumor necrosis factor-α was severely reduced. These effects were similar to those of the anti-inflammatory drug-sulfasalazine-and antidepressant-amitriptyline. Moreover, pain-related behaviors were substantially reduced. Additionally, BHSST inhibited TRPA1, NaV1.5, and NaV1.7 ion channels associated with IBS-mediated visceral hypersensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the findings suggest that BHSST has potential beneficial effects on IBS and diarrhea through the modulation of ion channels.

Medicinal and edible plants in the treatment of dyslipidemia: advances and prospects

Dyslipidemia is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which lead to the high mortality, disability, and medical expenses in the worldwide. Based on the previous researches, the improvement of dyslipidemia could efficiently prevent the occurrence and progress of cardiovascular diseases. Medicinal and edible plants (MEPs) are the characteristics of Chinese medicine, and could be employed for the disease treatment and health care mostly due to their homology of medicine and food. Compared to the lipid-lowering drugs with many adverse effects, such as rhabdomyolysis and impaired liver function, MEPs exhibit the great potential in the treatment of dyslipidemia with high efficiency, good tolerance and commercial value. In this review, we would like to introduce 20 kinds of MEPs with lipid-lowering effect in the following aspects, including the source, function, active component, target and underlying mechanism, which may provide inspiration for the development of new prescription, functional food and complementary therapy for dyslipidemia.

Activity fingerprinting of polysaccharides on oral, gut, pancreas and lung microbiota in diabetic rats

The modern rise in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its correlation to commensal microbiota have elicited global concern about the patterns of microbial action in the host. With the exception of that linked to gut, microbiota were also colonized in pancreas, oral, and lung, contributing to the physiopathology of T2DM. In this study, we aimed to explore the protective effects of Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide (PSG) and White Hyacinth Bean polysaccharide (WHBP) on the intestine, pancreas, oral, and lung microbiota in T2DM rats. Here we showed that, despite capacities of polysaccharides that exerted similar protective effects on hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and dysbacteriosis in T2DM rats, PSG and WHBP were able to be characterized by their own "target" bacteria, which could be proposed for activity-fingerprinting of polysaccharide species. Furthermore, we found a mutual bacteria spectrum in the pancreas and lung, and most bacteria could be tracked to oral or gut samples. Notably, the overlapping areas of the microbiota profile between organs (pancreas, lung) and saliva were more than in the gut, suggesting that a saliva sample was also of interest to serve as a "telltale sign" for judging pancreatic injury. Together, these microbiota interactions provided a new potential to harvest alternative samples for disease surveillance. Meanwhile, polysaccharides had anti-T2DM abilities, which could be distinguished by their own characteristic bacteria.

Shenling Baizhu Powder Alleviates TNBS-Induced Colitis in Rats by Improving Intestinal Epithelial Permeability and Inhibiting Inflammation Through the TLR5/MyD88/NF-κB Pathway

Aim of the study: To evaluate the protective effect and mechanism of shenling baizhu powder (SBP) on TNBS-induced colitis.

Methods: Rats were given TNBS to establish the model of colitis and subsequently treated with different doses of SBP or mesalamine (MES). In addition, the expression of the TLR5/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and critical targets of the intestinal mucosal barrier was detected by immunochemical analysis techniques.

Results: SBP significantly ameliorated the symptoms of TNBS-induced colitis in rats and reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. SBP could effectively strengthen epithelial barrier integrity in TNBS-induced colitis by increasing the secretion of mucin and tight junction and inhibiting apoptosis. Furthermore, we identified the crucial role of the TLR5/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in exerting the therapeutic effect of SBP.

Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that SBP has therapeutic effects on TNBS-induced colitis and potential value in treating and maintaining remission of colitis.

Prebiotic Potential of Dietary Beans and Pulses and Their Resistant Starch for Aging-Associated Gut and Metabolic Health

Dietary pulses, including dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and dry peas, have the highest proportion of fiber among different legume cultivars and are inexpensive, easily accessible, and have a long shelf-life. The inclusion of pulses in regular dietary patterns is an easy and effective solution for achieving recommended fiber intake and maintaining a healthier gut and overall health. Dietary pulses-derived resistant starch (RS) is a relatively less explored prebiotic ingredient. Several in vitro and preclinical studies have elucidated the crucial role of RS in fostering and shaping the gut microbiota composition towards homeostasis thereby improving host metabolic health. However, in humans and aged animal models, the effect of only the cereals and tubers derived RS has been studied. In this context, this review collates literature pertaining to the beneficial effects of dietary pulses and their RS on gut microbiome-metabolome signatures in preclinical and clinical studies while contemplating their potential and prospects for better aging-associated gut health. In a nutshell, the incorporation of dietary pulses and their RS in diet fosters the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and significantly enhances the production of short-chain fatty acids in the colon.

Effects of red ginseng on gut, microbiota, and brain in a mouse model of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, is characterized by chronic abdominal pain and bowel habit changes. Although diverse complicated etiologies are involved in its pathogenesis, a dysregulated gut–brain axis may be an important factor. Red ginseng (RG), a traditional herbal medicine, is proven to have anti-inflammatory effects and improve brain function; however, these effects have not been investigated in IBS.

Methods

Three-day intracolonic zymosan injections were used to induce post-infectious human IBS-like symptoms in mice. The animals were randomized to receive either phosphate-buffered saline (CG) or RG (30/100/300 mg/kg) for 10 days. Amitriptyline and sulfasalazine were used as positive controls. Macroscopic scoring was performed on day 4. Visceral pain and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed by colorectal distension and elevated plus maze and open field tests, respectively, on day 10. Next-generation sequencing of gut microbiota was performed, and biomarkers involved in gut–brain axis responses were analyzed.

Results

Compared to CG, RG significantly decreased the macroscopic score, frequency of visceral pain, and anxiety-like behavior in the IBS mice. These effects were comparable to those after sulfasalazine and amitriptyline treatments. Moreover, RG significantly increased the proliferation of beneficial microbes, including Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii. RG significantly suppressed expression of IL-1β and c-fos in the gut and prefrontal cortex, respectively. Further, it restored the plasma levels of corticosterone to within the normal range, accompanied by an increase in adrenocorticotropic hormone.

Conclusion

RG may be a potential therapeutic option for the management of human IBS.

Efficient Stool Collection Methods for Evaluating the Diarrhea Score in Mouse Diarrhea Models

BACKGROUND/AIM

The mouse diarrhea score is usually determined by evaluating stool consistency and shape. Thus, defecated stools should be collected without damage or contamination. The study aimed to develop improved mouse stool collection methods and diarrhea-scoring criteria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We developed improved stool collection methods (paper towel methods) and compared them with previously used ones (stool collection using regular cages containing bedding chips or filter paper and metabolic cages).

RESULTS

Compared to previously used methods, paper towel methods collected stools without bedding chips-induced contamination, mouse body/foot-induced damage, or sampling errors. When using paper towel methods, wet stools create water marks (diarrhea marks) on paper towels with strong water absorption capacity, by which diarrheal severity can be analyzed semi-quantitatively. To improve the objectivity in determining diarrhea scores, practical diarrhea-scoring criteria were also proposed.

CONCLUSION

These results would be helpful to researchers facing difficulties in evaluating the mouse diarrhea score.

Dolichos lablab L. extracts as pharmanutrient for stress-related mucosal disease in rat stomach

Gastric stress-related mucosal disease (SRMD) presented from superficial gastritis to deep ulceration consequent to insufficient perfusion, ischemia, and oxidative stress. Though pharmacologic interventions to optimize tissue perfusion or to enhance defensive mechanism are essential, limited clinical outcome necessitates strong acid suppressors or natural agents. Under the hypothesis that Dolichos lablab L. (NKM 23-1) can enhance defense against SRMD, water immersion restraint stress (WIRS) were imposed to rats and additional groups pretreated with differing doses of NKM 23-1 were monitored. On gross and microscopic evaluation, they significantly rescued SRMD (p<0.01). The levels of inflammatory mediators such as IL-18, IL-1β, IL-8, iNOS, TNF-α, caspase-1, NOXs as well as MMPs accompanied with NF-κB p50 activation were all significantly increased in WIRS, but their levels were significantly decreased in Groups pretreated with NKM 23-1. WIRS significantly increased apoptosis, but significantly decreased with NKM 23-1 accompanied with significantly increased levels of cyclin D/E and HSP70/HSP27. Gastric mucin was significantly preserved in Groups pretreated with NKM 23-1, while depleted in WIRS, accompanied with increased expressions of Muc5A. Gastric levels of HO-1 and NQO1 were significantly increased in Group treated with NKM 23-1 with transcriptional activation of Nrf2. Conclusively, preemptive intake of NKM 23-1 significantly rescued SRMD.

Animal Models for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), such as functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by chronic abdominal symptoms in the absence of an organic, metabolic or systemic cause that readily explains these complaints. Their pathophysiology is still not fully elucidated and animal models have been of great value to improve the understanding of the complex biological mechanisms. Over the last decades, many animal models have been developed to further unravel FGID pathophysiology and test drug efficacy. In the first part of this review, we focus on stress-related models, starting with the different perinatal stress models, including the stress of the dam, followed by a discussion on neonatal stress such as the maternal separation model. We also describe the most commonly used stress models in adult animals which brought valuable insights on the brain-gut axis in stress-related disorders. In the second part, we focus more on models studying peripheral, i.e., gastrointestinal, mechanisms, either induced by an infection or another inflammatory trigger. In this section, we also introduce more recent models developed around food-related metabolic disorders or food hypersensitivity and allergy. Finally, we introduce models mimicking FGID as a secondary effect of medical interventions and spontaneous models sharing characteristics of GI and anxiety-related disorders. The latter are powerful models for brain-gut axis dysfunction and bring new insights about FGID and their comorbidities such as anxiety and depression.