Essential Oil of Matricaria chamomilla Alleviate Psoriatic-Like Skin Inflammation by Inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR and p38MAPK Signaling Pathway

Background

The traditional Matricaria chamomilla L. has been used to treat dermatitis for thousands of years. Due to emerging trends in alternative medicine, patients prefer natural remedies to relieve their symptoms. Therefore, finding safe and effective plant medicines for topical applications on the skin is an important treatment strategy for dermatologists. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) from the Compositae family is a famous medicinal plant, often known as the "star of medicinal species."However, the function of Matricaria chamomilla essential oil on skin inflammation has not been thoroughly examined in earlier research.

Methods

GC-MS analyzed the components of MCEO, and this study explored the anti-inflammation effects of MCEO on psoriasis with network pharmacological pathway prediction. Following this, we used clinical samples of psoriasis patients to confirm the secretory characteristic of relative inflammatory markers. The therapeutic effect of MCEO on skin inflammation was detected by examination of human keratinocytes HaCaT. At the same time, we prepared imiquimod-induced psoriatic-like skin inflammation in mice to investigate thoroughly the potential inhibition functions of MCEO on psoriatic skin injury and inflammation.

Results

MCEO significantly reduced interleukin-22/tumor necrosis factor α/lipopolysaccharide-stimulated elevation of HaCaT cell inflammation, which was correlated with downregulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR and p38MAPK pathways activation mediated by MCEO in HaCaT cells treated with IL-22/TNF-α/LPS. Skin inflammation was evaluated based on the PASI score, HE staining, and relative inflammatory cytokine levels. The results showed that MCEO could significantly contribute to inflammatory skin disease treatment.

Conclusion

MCEO inhibited inflammation in HaCaT keratinocytes induced by IL-22/TNF-α/LPS, the potential mechanisms associated with inhibiting excessive activation and crosstalk between PI3K/Akt/mTOR and p38MAPK pathways. MCEO ameliorated skin injury in IMQ-induced psoriatic-like skin inflammation of mice by downregulating the levels of inflammatory cytokines but not IL-17A. Thus, anti-inflammatory plant drugs with different targets with combined applications were a potential therapeutic strategy in psoriasis.

A Novel UV Barrier Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(butylene succinate) Composite Biodegradable Film Enhanced by Cellulose Extracted from Coconut Shell

Cellulose was extracted from coconut shell powder (CSP) as a renewable biomass resource and utilized as a reinforcing material in poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) (PLA/PBS) solvent casting films. The extraction process involved delignification and mercerization of CSP. Microscopic investigation of the extracted microfibers demonstrated a reduction in diameter and a rougher surface characteristic compared to the raw CSP. The cellulose prepared in this study exhibited improved thermal stability and higher crystallinity (54.3%) compared to CSP. The morphology of the cycrofractured surface, thermal analysis, mechanical property, and UV transmittance of films were measured and compared. Agglomeration of 3 wt.% of cellulose was observed in PLA/PBS films. The presence of cellulose higher than 1 wt.% in the PLA/PBS decreased the onset decomposition temperature and maximum decomposition temperature of films. However, the films loading 3 wt.% of cellulose had a higher char formation (5.47%) compared to neat PLA/PBS films. The presence of cellulose promoted the formation of non-uniform crystals, while cellulose had a slightly negative impact on crystallinity due to the disruption of polymer chains at lower cellulose content (0.3, 0.5 wt.%). The mechanical strength of PLA/PBS films decreased as the cellulose content increased. Moreover, PLA/PBS film with 3 wt.% of cellulose appeared to show a 3% and 7.5% decrease in transmittance in UVC (275 nm) and UVA (335 nm) regions compared to neat PLA/PBS films while maintaining a certain transparency.

Association of SULT1A2 rs1059491 with obesity and dyslipidaemia in southern Chinese adults

In the sulfotransferase (SULT) superfamily, members of the SULT1 family mainly catalyse the sulfonation reaction of phenolic compounds, which is involved in the phase II metabolic detoxification process and plays a key role in endocrine homeostasis. A coding variant rs1059491 in the SULT1A2 gene has been reported to be associated with childhood obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association of rs1059491 with the risk of obesity and cardiometabolic abnormalities in adults. This case‒control study included 226 normal weight, 168 overweight and 72 obese adults who underwent a health examination in Taizhou, China. Genotyping of rs1059491 was performed by Sanger sequencing in exon 7 of the SULT1A2 coding region. Chi-squared tests, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression models were applied. The minor allele frequencies of rs1059491 in the overweight combined with obesity and control groups were 0.0292 and 0.0686, respectively. No differences in weight and body mass index were detected between the TT genotype and GT + GG genotype under the dominant model, but the levels of serum triglycerides were significantly lower in G-allele carriers than in non-G-allele carriers (1.02 (0.74-1.32) vs. 1.35 (0.83-2.13) mmol/L, P = 0.011). The GT + GG genotype of rs1059491 versus the TT genotype reduced the risk of overweight and obesity by 54% (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.96, P = 0.037) after adjusting for sex and age. Similar results were observed for hypertriglyceridaemia (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.74, P = 0.013) and dyslipidaemia (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17-0.83, P = 0.015). However, these associations disappeared after correction for multiple tests. This study revealed that the coding variant rs1059491 is nominally associated with a decreased risk of obesity and dyslipidaemia in southern Chinese adults. The findings will be validated in larger studies including more detailed information on genetic background, lifestyle and weight change with age.

Preparation and Characterization of an Invasive Plant-Derived Biochar-Supported Nano-Sized Lanthanum Composite and Its Application in Phosphate Capture from Aqueous Media

Invasive plants pose a great threat to natural ecosystems owing to their rapid propagation and spreading ability in nature. Herein, a typical invasive plant, Solidago canadensis, was chosen as a novel feedstock for the preparation of nano-sized lanthanum-loaded S. canadensis-derived biochar (SCBC-La), and its adsorption performance for phosphate removal was evaluated by batch adsorption experiment. The composite was characterized by multiple techniques. Effects of parameters, such as the initial concentration of phosphate, time, pH, coexisting ions, and ionic strength, were studied on the phosphate removal. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that SCBC-La shows a faster adsorption rate at a low concentration and SCBC-La exhibits good La utilization efficiency than some of the reported La-modified adsorbents. Phosphate can be effectively removed over a relatively wide pH of 3-9 because of the high pH _pzc of SCBC-La. Furthermore, the SCBC-La shows a strong anti-interference capability in terms of pH value, coexisting ions, and ionic strength, exhibiting a highly selective capacity for phosphate removal. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements reveal that hydroxyl groups on the surface of SCBC-La were replaced by phosphate and manifest the reversible transformation between La(OH)₃ and LaPO₄. Considering its high adsorption capacity and excellent selectivity, SCBC-La is a promising material for preventing eutrophication. This work gives a new method of pollution control with waste treatment since the invasive plant (S. canadensis) is converted into biochar-based nanocomposite for effective removal of phosphate to mitigate eutrophication.