Anti-nociceptive effect of Portulaca oleracea L. ethanol extracts attenuated zymosan-induced mouse joint inflammation via inhibition of Nrf2 expression

Ethanol extract of Portulaca oleracea L. mitigates atherosclerosis through modulation of cholesterol efflux and uptake pathways

Background

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a medicinal and edible plant. Purslane extract (POEE) exhibits lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Traditionally, this extract has been used to treat various inflammatory conditions, including skin inflammation, enteritis, and dysentery. However, its therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms in atherosclerosis (AS) remain unclear.

Methods

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS) and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database were employed to identify the active components of POEE. Network pharmacology was used to predict POEE's mechanisms for alleviating AS. An in vitro foam cell model was established by treating RAW264.7 macrophages with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), and the protective effects of POEE were assessed via the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, while intracellular lipid accumulation was identified using Oil Red O staining. Protein expression related to cholesterol metabolism was analyzed by Western blot (WB). For in vivo validation, AS was induced in rats through a high-fat diet and carotid artery injury. After 4 weeks of daily POEE administration, the therapeutic efficacy was tested by measuring serum lipid levels, cardiac function, histopathological changes, and the cholesterol transport-related protein expression.

Results

The bioactive compounds identified in POEE were categorized into 10 groups, including flavonoids (24), terpenoids (16), phenols (6), and alkaloids (4), and others. Network pharmacology predictions implicated POEE in modulating the "Lipid and Atherosclerosis" pathway. POEE significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC) and free cholesterol (FC) levels in ox-LDL-stimulated macrophages, attenuating foam cell formation. Furthermore, POEE enhanced reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) by upregulating the expressions of ATP-binding cassette transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1 to promote cholesterol efflux, while suppressing CD36 and MSR1 expressions to inhibit cholesterol uptake. In vivo, POEE administration lowered serum triglycerides (TG), TC, FC, and LDL-C levels; elevated HDL-C; and ameliorated carotid artery lesions in AS rats. Concordantly, ABCA1 expression was upregulated and that of MSR1 was downregulated in POEE-treated carotid tissues.

Conclusion

POEE alleviates atherosclerosis by enhancing RCT through regulation of cholesterol efflux and uptake pathways. POEE may be a promising therapeutic candidate for AS.

Dietary purslane modulates gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in aging rats

Introduction

Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) is a highly nutritious and edible wild vegetable beneficial to human health. However, its impacts on the structure of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites in aging individuals remain unclear. This study aims to clarify its potential mechanisms in aging-related gut health.

Methods

Naturally aged rats (18 months) were divided into two groups. One group was fed a maintenance chow, and the other was fed a mixture with 3.5% purslane for 15 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing were employed to explore the effects of purslane on the intestinal health of these rats.

Results

The fecal concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased in aging rats fed the purslane supplement. Purslane significantly reduced the relative abundance levels of Firmicutes and Fusobacteria, as well as the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. KEGG pathway analysis annotated 109 differential metabolites, which mainly affected metabolic pathways such as linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, steroid biosynthesis, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. There was a strong correlation between Paracbacteroides, the Prevotella NK3B31_group, the Rikenella_RC9_gut_group, and SCFA levels. Aging rats consuming purslane had a more complete and healthy gut morphology than the control group.

Discussion

These results suggested that the maintenance of intestinal health by purslane in aging rats might be associated with the targeted regulation of gut microbiota and fecal metabolites.

Portulaca oleracea L. Methanolic Extract Protects the Brain of Male Rats Against Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs as a result of a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is most frequently linked to a decline in cognitive function and memory. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups (n = 6); Group I was the negative control, Group II was the AlCl3-positive control, and Group III and Group IV were treated with 100 mg and 200 mg/kg of Portulaca oleracea methanolic extract, respectively. Aluminum chloride intoxication in Group II increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant parameters and affected interleukin-6 (IL-6), the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and amyloid beta (Aβ), which lead to the induction of AD through injuring brain cells of AD rats. Treating the AD rats in Group III (GIII) and Group IV (GIV) with P. oleracea ameliorated the altered parameters in the AD rats. It also increased folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. P. oleracea modulated the physiological, biochemical, and histological changes brought on by AlCl3 intoxication in rats via oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. The dose of P. oleracea in GIV successfully modified the behavioral changes brought on by AlCl3 in the AD rats more than that of GIII.

Portulaca oleracea Extract Ameliorates Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a distressing health problem that can cause serious complications in aging men. Androgens are implicated in the causation of BPH. Portulaca oleracea (PO) is a natural product with diverse pharmacological effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of PO in a rat model of testosterone propionate (TP)-induced BPH and explore the underlying mechanisms. Thirty-five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into the following equal groups (n = 7): normal control (NC) group, TP (3 mg/kg) group, finasteride (10 mg/kg) group, 25 and 50 mg/kg PO groups. At the end of the experiment, the body weights (BWs) of the rats were measured before they were euthanized to the establishment obtain serum and prostate weight (PW). TP-induced levels of androgen-related proteins in the prostate were also investigated. In the TP group, prostate size, BW, serum DHT level, prostate epithelial cell thickness and androgen-related protein level were higher than those in the NC group (p < 0.001). PO reversed TP-induced BPH in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01) and its effect was similar to that of finasteride. A similar effect of PO on the androgen-related protein level was also observed. We successfully established a TP-induced BPH rat model. This is the first study to demonstrate that inhibition of androgen-related proteins using PO can alleviate BPH.

The effect of purslane supplementation on clinical outcomes, inflammatory and antioxidant markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A parallel double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that results in joint dysfunction, inflammation, and increased mortality.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of purslane supplements on clinical outcomes, as well as inflammation and antioxidant markers in patients with RA.

STUDY DESIGN

A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.

METHODS

In this 12-week trial, 86 participants aged between 20 and 79 were divided into two groups. The intervention group (n = 43) received a 500 mg purslane capsule twice a day, while the control group (n = 43) received a placebo capsule of the same shape and dosage.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven patients (37 from the control group and 40 from the purslane group) completed the study. Purslane capsule intake significantly declined visual analog scale (53.38 ± 23.81 vs. 26.25 ± 17.27, p ≤ 0.001), swollen joint count (4.42 ± 3.36 vs. 1.60 ± 1.64, p ≤ 0.001), tender joint count (8.20 ± 5.93 vs. 2.78± 2.15, p ≤ 0.001), High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p ≤ 0.001), disease activity score (DAS28) (5.17 ± 1.30 vs. 3.48 ± 1.20, p ≤ 0.001) and increased Superoxide dismutase (p = .037), and total antioxidant capacity (p ≤ 0.001) changes. Furthermore, Morning stiffness (p=.002) and Physician Global Assessment (p = .026) significantly decreased in the purslane group compared to the placebo group at the end of the trial. There was a significant decrease in tumor necrosis factor-α (2.885 ± 2.068 vs. 2.330 ± 1.121, p = .046), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (36.52 ± 20.04 vs. 26.70 ± 22.59, p = .007) levels in the purslane group.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, supplementation with purslane could lead to improved clinical outcomes, and inflammatory and antioxidant indicators in RA patients.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of digestive inflammatory cancer transformation: Portulaca oleracea L. as a promising drug

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries to treat various types of inflammation and tumors of the digestive system. Portulaca oleracea L. (POL), has been used in TCM for thousands of years. The chemical composition of POL is variable and includes flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and organic acids and other classes of natural compounds. Many of these compounds exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer-transforming effects in the digestive system.

AIM OF STUDY

In this review, we focus on the potential therapeutic role of POL in NASH, gastritis and colitis and their associated cancers, with a focus on the pharmacological properties and potential mechanisms of action of the main natural active compounds in POL.

METHODS

The information and data on Portulaca oleracea L. and its main active ingredients were collated from various resources like ethnobotanical textbooks and literature databases such as CNKI, VIP (Chinese literature), PubMed, Science Direct, Elsevier and Google Scholar (English literatures), Wiley, Springer, Tailor and Francis, Scopus, Inflibnet.

RESULTS

Kaempferol, luteolin, myricetin, quercetin, genistein, EPA, DHA, and melatonin were found to improve NASH and NASH-HCC, while kaempferol, apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin played a therapeutic role in gastritis and gastric cancer. Apigenin, luteolin, myricetin, quercetin, genistein, lupeol, vitamin C and melatonin were found to have therapeutic effects in the treatment of colitis and its associated cancers. The discovery of the beneficial effects of these natural active compounds in POL supports the idea that POL could be a promising novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related cancers of the digestive system.

CONCLUSION

The discovery of the beneficial effects of these natural active compounds in POL supports the idea that POL could be a promising novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of inflammation-related cancers of the digestive system. However, clinical data describing the mode of action of the naturally active compounds of POL are still lacking. In addition, pharmacokinetic data for POL compounds, such as changes in drug dose and absorption rates, cannot be extrapolated from animal models and need to be measured in patients in clinical trials. On the one hand, a systematic meta-analysis of the existing publications on TCM containing POL still needs to be carried out. On the other hand, studies on the hepatic and renal toxicity of POL are also needed. Additionally, well-designed preclinical and clinical studies to validate the therapeutic effects of TCM need to be performed, thus hopefully providing a basis for the validation of the clinical benefits of POL.

Mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and the effects of traditional Chinese medicine

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

It has been widely reported that various anti-rheumatic traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) through regulating the abnormal production, assembly, and activation of the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. These TCMs include monomers isolated from Chinese herbs, extracts of Chinese herbs, and Chinese medical formulae with a lengthy application history.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review aimed to summarize and analyze the published articles about the NLRP3 inflammasome and its role in the pathogenesis of RA and OA. We also reviewed existing knowledge on the therapeutic mechanism of TCMs in RA and OA via the regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched for relevant articles with the keywords "NLRP3 inflammasome", "traditional Chinese medicine," "Chinese herbal drugs," "rheumatoid arthritis," and "osteoarthritis." The information retrieval was conducted in medical Chinese and English databases from the date of construction to April 19, 2023, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Ovid, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database (CBM), Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Database (VIP), and China Online Journals (COJ).

RESULTS

According to retrieval results, 35 TCMs have been demonstrated to relieve RA by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome, including six traditional Chinese prescriptions, seven extracts of Chinese herbs, and 22 monomers extracted from traditional Chinese herbs and formulae. Additionally, 23 TCMs have shown anti-OA effects with abilities to modulate the NLRP3 inflammasome, including five traditional Chinese prescriptions, one extract of Chinese herbs, and 17 monomers from Chinese herbs.

CONCLUSIONS

We summarized mechanism research about the pivotal roles of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of RA and OA. Moreover, a review of TCMs with targets of the NLRP3 inflammasome in RA and OA treatment was also conducted. Our work is conducive to a better application of TCMs in complementary and alternative therapies in RA and OA.

A review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and potential uses of Portulaca oleracea L

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Portulaca oleracea L. (PO), popularly known as purslane, has been documented in ethnopharmacology in various countries and regions. Traditional application records indicated that PO might be used extensively to treat the common cold, dysentery, urinary tract infections, coughing, eye infections, skin problems, gynecological diseases, and pediatric illnesses.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This paper includes a systematic review of the traditional usage, phytochemicals, pharmacological activity, and potential uses of PO to provide an overview of the research for further exploitation of PO resources.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This article uses "Portulaca oleracea L." and "purslane" as the keywords and collects relevant information on PO from different databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Springer, Science Direct, ACS, Wiley, CNKI, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, and ancient meteria medica.

RESULTS

PO is a member of the Portulacaceae family and is grown worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that purslane has the effect of improving eyesight, eliminating evil qi, quenching thirst, purgation, diuresis, hemostasis, regulating qi, promoting hair growth, detoxifying, and avoiding epidemic qi. Recent phytochemical investigations have shown that PO is a rich source of flavonoids, homoisoflavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids, esters, lignans, terpenoids, catecholamines, sterols, and cerebrosides. The purslane extracts or compounds have exhibited numerous biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, renoprotective, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, metabolic, muscle relaxant, anti-asthmatic and anti-osteoporosis properties. The significant omega-3 fatty acids, vital amino acids, minerals, and vitamins found in purslane also provide nutritional benefits. Purslane as a food/feed additive in the food industry and animal husbandry has caused concern. Its global wide distribution and tolerance to abiotic stress characteristics make it in the future sustainable development of agriculture a certain position.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on traditional usage, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activity, PO is a potential medicinal and edible plant with diverse pharmacological effects. Due to purslane's various advantages, it may have vast application potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries and animal husbandry.

Alamri M, Alfaifi J, I. E. Adam M, A. Saleh L, I. Farag A, A. Elmorsy E, S. El-Wakeel H, S. Doghish A, E. Shaker M, H. Hazem S, A. Ramadan H, S. Hamad R, A. Mohammed O. Unveiling the therapeutic potential of exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate for chronic colitis in rats: novel insights on autophagy, apoptosis, and pyroptosis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the colorectal area that demonstrates a dramatically increasing incidence worldwide. This study provides novel insights into the capacity of the exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate and ketogenic diet (KD) consumption to alleviate dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC in rats. Remarkably, both interventions attenuated disease activity and colon weight-to-length ratio, and improved macro and microstructures of the damaged colon. Importantly, both β-hydroxybutyrate and KD curbed the DSS-induced aberrant NLRP3 inflammasome activation as observed in mRNA and protein expression analysis. Additionally, inhibition of the NLRP3/NGSDMD-mediated pyroptosis was detected in response to both regimens. In parallel, these modalities attenuated caspase-1 and its associated consequences of IL-1β and IL-18 overproduction. They also mitigated apoptosis as indicated by the inactivation of caspase-3. The anti-inflammatory effects of BHB and KD were confirmed by the reported decline in the levels of inflammatory markers including MPO, NFκB, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, these interventions exhibited antioxidative properties by reducing ROS production and improving antioxidative enzymes. Their effectiveness in mitigating UC was also evident in the renovation of normal intestinal epithelial barrier function, as shown by correcting the discrepancies in the levels of tight junction proteins ZO-1, OCLN, and CLDN5. Furthermore, their effects on the intestinal microbiota homeostasis were investigated. In terms of autophagy, exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate upregulated BECN-1 and downregulated p62, which may account for its superiority over KD in attenuating colonic damage. In conclusion, this study provides experimental evidence supporting the potential therapeutic use of β-hydroxybutyrate or β-hydroxybutyrate-boosting regimens in UC.

Portulaca oleracea L. Polysaccharide Inhibits Porcine Rotavirus In Vitro

Diarrhea is one of the most common causes of death in young piglets. Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) belongs to the genus Rotavirus within the family Reoviridae, and is considered to be the primary pathogen causing diarrhea in piglets. Portulaca oleracea L. (POL) has been reported to alleviate diarrhea and viral infections. However, the antiviral effect of Portulaca oleracea L. polysaccharide (POL-P), an active component of POL, on PoRV infection remains unclear. This study demonstrated that the safe concentration range of POL-P in IPEC-J2 cells is 0-400 μg/mL. POL-P (400 μg/mL) effectively inhibits PoRV infection in IPEC-J2 cells, reducing the expression of rotavirus VP6 protein, mRNA and virus titer. Furthermore, on the basis of viral life cycle analysis, we showed that POL-P can decrease the expression of PoRV VP6 protein, mRNA, and virus titer during the internalization and replication stages of PoRV. POL-P exerts antiviral effects by increasing IFN-α expression and decreasing the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 inflammatory factors. Overall, our study found that POL-P is a promising candidate for anti-PoRV drugs.

Salecan confers anti-inflammatory effects in liver injury via regulating gut microbiota and its metabolites

Salecan, a natural β-glucan and one of the novel food ingredients approved in China, has been shown a variety of positive health effects, yet the mechanism of liver injury remains poorly understood. In addition, β-glucan could induce the shifts in gut microbiota, however, whether modulation of gut microbiota by β-glucan is associated with their positive health effects remain elusive. Here, the anti-inflammatory effects and the underlying mechanism of Salecan supplementation in CCl4-induced liver injury were investigated. After 8 weeks of treatment, we observed that Salecan alleviated liver injury by regulating inflammatory response and M2 macrophage polarization. In addition, Salecan treatment modulated the composition of gut microbiota and antibiotic cocktail treatment indicated that the hepatoprotective effect of Salecan was dependent on the gut microbiota. Fecal microbiota transplantation was used to further verify the mechanism, and we confirmed that microbial colonization partially alleviated liver injury. Besides, microbiota-derived metabolites of Salecan also contributed to the hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effect of Salecan against liver injury. These findings supported that Salecan intervention attenuated liver injury by regulating gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Protective Effect of Portulaca oleracea on Streptozotocin-Induced Type I Diabetes-Associated Reproductive System Dysfunction and Inflammation

BACKGROUND

Type-one diabetes (T1D), a chronic autoimmune disease with marked inflammatory responses, is associated with infertility complications and implications. Based on the anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and anti-hyperlipidemic potential of Portulaca oleracea (PO), this study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of this plant extract on streptozotocin-induced type-I-diabetes-associated reproductive system dysfunction and inflammation.

METHODS

Male rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups: control, diabetic, and treatment/s (PO extract at 100 or 300 mg/kg/daily). Then food and water consumption, body, testis and epididymis weights, histopathological evaluation, seminiferous tubules diameter, sperm count and motility, glucose levels, sex hormones, and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were evaluated.

RESULTS

Our results showed that streptozotocin-induced diabetes significantly increased food and water consumption; increased glucose, MDA, TGF-β1, and TNF-α levels; and decreased the seminiferous tubules diameter, sperm count and motility, levels of LH, testosterone, total thiol, VEGF, and SOD activity. Interestingly, PO extract (phytochemically characterized by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect bioactive molecules) significantly ameliorated these parameters and histopathological indexes' damage in rats.

CONCLUSION

Even if more preclinical assessments are needed to better characterize the mechanism/s of action, the results of this study will pave the way for the rational use of PO on diabetic-associated clinical complications and implications.

A review on bioactive phytochemicals and ethnopharmacological potential of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.)

The Portulaca oleracea L. commonly known as purslane is distributed all over the world and easily grows in diverse soil and climatic conditions. It has been traditionally used as a nutritious and ethnomedicinal food across the globe. Various studies have shown that the plant is a rich source of various important phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins such as A, C, E, and B, carotenoids and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and zinc. It is particularly very important because of the presence of a very high concentration of omega-3- fatty acids especially α-linolenic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, which are not generally synthesized in terrestrial plants. Various parts of purslane are known for ethnomedicinal and pharmacological uses because of its anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, skeletal muscle relaxant, antitumor, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-insomnia, analgesic, gastroprotective, neuroprotective, wound healing and antiseptic activities. Due to multiple benefits of purslane, it has become an important wonder crop and various scientists across the globe have shown much interest in it as a healthy food for the future. In this review, we provide an update on the phytochemical and nutritional composition of purslane, its usage as nutritional and an ethnomedicinal plant across the world. We further provide a detailed account on ethnopharmacological studies that have proved the ethnomedicinal properties of purslane.