Glossogyne tenuifolia (Hsiang-ju) extract suppresses T cell activation by inhibiting activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Essential Oil from Glossogyne tenuifolia Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation-Associated Genes in Macro-Phage Cells via Suppression of NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Glossogyne tenuifolia Cassini (Hsiang-Ju in Chinese) is a perennial herb native to Taiwan. It was used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective agent. Recent studies have shown that extracts of G. tenuifolia possess various bioactivities, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and anti-cancer properties. However, the pharmacological activities of G. tenuifolia essential oils have not been studied. In this study, we extracted essential oil from air-dried G. tenuifolia plants, then investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of G. tenuifolia essential oil (GTEO) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) in vitro. Treatment with GTEO (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) significantly as well as dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced pro-inflammatory molecules, such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) production, without causing cytotoxicity. Q-PCR and immunoblotting analysis revealed that the inhibition of NO and PGE₂ was caused by downregulation of their corresponding mediator genes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively. Immunofluorescence and luciferase reporter assays revealed that the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 genes by GTEO was associated with the suppression of nuclear export and transcriptional activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, nuclear factor -κB (NF-κB). In addition, GTEO treatment significantly inhibited phosphorylation and proteosomal degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB (I-κBα), an endogenous repressor of NF-κB. Moreover, treatment with GTEO significantly blocked the LPS-mediated activation of inhibitory κB kinase α (IKKα), an upstream kinase of the I-κBα. Furthermore, p-cymene, β-myrcene, β-cedrene, cis-β-ocimene, α-pinene, and _D-limonene were represented as major components of GTEO. We found that treatment with p-cymene, α-pinene, and _D-limonene were significantly inhibiting LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that GTEO inhibits inflammation through the downregulation of NF-κB-mediated inflammatory genes and pro-inflammatory molecules in macrophage cells.

An Ethnobotanical Study on Qīng-Căo-Chá Tea in Taiwan

Herbal tea, a beverage prepared from a variety of plant materials excluding the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze of the family Theaceae, for a long time, has been consumed by most Chinese people for preventive and/or therapeutic health care. Usually, it is brewed or prepared as a decoction of local plants in water. The qīng-căo-chá tea, a commercial herbal tea, is the most common among many differently formulated herbal teas in Taiwan. For hundreds of years, qīng-căo-chá tea has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with the environmental conditions in Taiwan. However, research studies in this field have been insufficient. The raw material formulas of qīng-căo-chá tea have always been passed down from “masters” to “apprentices.” Hence, there is no systematic collation or record, and, therefore, there is a need to assess and confirm the composition, safety, and effectiveness of the raw materials. This study aimed to document the uses of Taiwan's qīng-căo-chá tea through a semi-structured interview survey and investigate the background of traditional practitioners, tea compositions, and plant origins and uses. This will improve our understanding of the knowledge inherited by the practitioners and the theoretical basis of the medicinal uses of these teas. In our field investigation, we visited 86 shops and assessed 71 raw ingredients of qīng-căo-chá tea. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct the interviews. During the interviews, in addition to written records, audio and video recordings were made, and photographs were taken with the permission of the interviewees. The qīng-căo-chá raw materials have long been used as herbal teas, although more research should clarify their efficacy and safety. Traditional sellers of qīng-căo-chá tea were mainly males, and most shops have been in operation for more than 71 years. Some of the raw materials were derived from multiple sources, including different plants, and were often mixed without any safety concerns. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic ethnobotanical study on qīng-căo-chá tea that assesses and confirms its herbal ingredients. Our study represents a reference for herbal teas in Taiwan that can be used by the public and regulatory agencies.

Hepato-protective effects of Glossogyne tenuifolia in Streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats on high fat diet

Background

Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) is a traditional herbal tea in Penghu Island, Taiwan. Its extract is traditionally been used as an antipyretic, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory remedy in folk medicine among local residents. The present study investigated whether GT could improve streptozotocin-induced acute liver injury of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

Male Wistar rats aged eight weeks were induced to be hyperglycemic by the subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) and a combination of a high-fat diet (HFD) (N group). The animals were given GT extracts at a low dose (50 mg/kg) (L group) or a high dose (150 mg/kg) (H group) or an anti-diabetic drug (acarbose) (P group) in drinking water for 4 weeks.

Results

The results revealed that STZ-NA increased hepatomegaly, hepatocyte cross-sectional area, hypertrophy-related pathways (IL6/STAT3-MEK5-ERK5, NFATc3, p38 and JNK MAPK), proapoptotic molecules (cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-3), and fibrosis-related pathways (FGF-2, pERK1/2). These pathway components were then expressed at lower levels in the L and H group when compared with the N group. The liver-protective effect of GT in STZ-NA-induced diabetic rats with hyperlipidemia was through an enhancement in the activation of the compensatory PI3K-Akt and Bcl2 survival-related pathway.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that the hot water extracts of GT efficiently ameliorates the STZ-NA-induced diabetes associated liver damage in rat models.