Insights & Discussion
Baicalin, a Scutellaria baicalensis extract, has been found to have numerous therapeutic applications in liver and gut diseases by mediating apoptosis and immune response pathways.
High-throughput screening and bioinformatics technology were utilized in the extraction and study of baicalin from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, an herb traditionally used in Chinese medicine. The research sought to understand the biological action of baicalin, particularly how it affects diseases related to the liver and gut. The effects were associated mainly with downstream apoptosis and immune response pathways, which are induced by upstream oxidative stress and inflammation.
In the discussion of the resultant findings, it was identified that baicalin engages various key factors during oxidative stress regulation. These include PI3K/Akt/NRF2, Keap-1, NF-κB, and HO-1, contributing to the healing effects of baicalin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, ulcerative colitis, and cholestasis. Further, it was discovered that baicalin plays a therapeutic role in regulating inflammatory response and apoptosis pathways. This ability aids in the alleviation of liver diseases and suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Baicalin was also found to regulate the intestinal flora by promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids, shedding new light on the full range of baicalin's pharmacological effects.
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Acupuncture and moxibustion therapies have shown effectiveness in treating ulcerative colitis according to the summarised-findings of various systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
2024 Heliyon Effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on ulcerative colitis: An overview of systematic reviews Wang D, Wang Q, Wang Y, Li T, Tian M
Systematic Review Acupuncture Moxibustion Ulcerative Colitis
Methodology: This evaluative study used an extensive and systematic methods to search data from seven different databases. The selected data were further refined by using different screening and evaluation frameworks like AMSTAR-2, PRISMA, ROBIS, and GRADE systems. These were used to determine the methodological quality, reporting quality, risk of bias, and the quality of evidence in the selected studies.
Discussion of results: After critical evaluation, the study found ten relevant reviews and analyses that showed potential for acupuncture and moxibustion therapies being effective in ulcerative colitis treatment. However, many the identified studies were reported to have several problems in their overall design and quality of outcomes. The researchers therefore stress caution when interpreting these results due to the lack of high-quality evidence in the existing studies.
Diverse acupuncture therapies, especially moxibustion, emerged as superior methods for alleviating ulcerative colitis symptoms in clinical practice.
2024 SSRN Electronic Journal Efficacy and Safety of Different Acupuncture Therapies for Patients with Ulcerative Colitis：A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis Zhang X, Yang S, Jin Y, Cheng X, Lu H, Wu H, et al.
Meta-Analysis Acupuncture Moxibustion Ulcerative Colitis
Methodology: The researchers carried out a systematic review and network meta-analysis of clinical efficacy of various acupuncture therapies for ulcerative colitis patients. They accomplished this by sourcing for Clinical Randomized Controlled trial articles from databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and other data knowledge service platforms, all of which were independently reviewed by two researchers. Several quality assessments were made through Review Manager software, and the meta-analysis was conducted with Stata 16 software. Interventions examined in the analysis included acupuncture, moxibustion, acupoint catgut embedding, and combinations of these therapies with Western medicine.
Discussion of results: 52 articles encompassing 3924 patients participated in randomized control trials. The investigation revealed a range of interventions, including different acupuncture therapies and combinations of these therapies with Western medicine. Namely, moxibustion, either on its own or combined with Western medicine, consistently surfaced as top-ranked for overall effectiveness and specific outcomes. Moreover, moxibustion displayed impressive performance in reducing adverse reactions and recurrence rates. Thus, various acupuncture therapies were confirmed as safe and effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, with moxibustion emerging as the most effective.
A combined Mediterranean, low-FODMAP diet along with partial enteral nutrition has shown promise in reducing ulcerative colitis activity and improving patients' quality of life.
2024 Scientific Reports Effectiveness of a novel diet in attenuation of clinical activity of disease in patients with ulcerative colitis: a randomized, clinical trial Narimani B, Sadeghi A, Daryani NE, Shahrokh S, Nilghaz M, Ghods M, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Low FODMAP Ulcerative Colitis
In the study, fifty patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis were randomly allotted one of two diets: a combined Mediterranean, low-FODMAP diet supplemented with partial enteral nutrition, or a standard diet. These diets were implemented for a duration of 6 weeks. Before and after the intervention, various indicators of the patients' conditions were measured. These variables included a disease activity index, the patients' quality of life, and concentrations of various inflammatory and oxidative stress factors in the blood. All of these were measured using tested and trustworthy questionnaires, in conjunction with blood sampling.
The combined diet was found to result in significantly decreased disease activity index values, compared to both the control diet and the baseline data. Simultaneously, patients on the combined diet reported greater enhancements in their quality of life, compared to both the control group and the initial data. Lastly, the serum level of a protein called "high sensitive C-reactive protein," known to be a general marker of inflammation within the body, was found to be reduced in the combined diet group. However, changes in the serum total antioxidant capacity were found to be statistically insignificant across both groups.
Jin Si Huang Ju tea, a traditional Chinese beverage, contains compounds that potentially reduce lipids, mitigate insulin resistance and reduce liver inflammation in vitro.
2023 European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Effects and mechanism of action of Chrysanthemum morifolium (Jinsi Huangju) on hyperlipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Li X, Li R, Wang X, Zhang X, Xiao Z, Wang H, et al.
Animal Study Chrysanthemum NAFLD Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The researchers identified 14 compounds in the Jinsi Huangju tea using different spectroscopic techniques, 11 of which had not been previously identified in this plant. Two of these compounds, apigenin-7-O-6″-malonylglucoside and luteolin-7-O-6″-malonylglucoside, were synthesized for the first time with a yield of 1.2% over 5 steps.
In the findings, the natural compound apigenin-7-O-6″-malonylglucoside was found to inhibit the function of pancreatic lipase, reduce cellular lipid contents, and attenuate insulin resistance when tested in vitro. It was also observed to restore lipid and inflammatory profiles in plasma and the liver, as well as reduce hepatic steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mouse models. Thus, Jinsi Huangju and its active components are strong candidates for the development of drugs or functional foods that could provide a therapeutic strategy for hyperlipidaemia and NAFLD.
Crocin, a compound derived from saffron, has shown considerable potential in hindering tumor growth and improving immune status, across various malignant tumors.
2023 PeerJ Advances on the anti-tumor mechanisms of the carotenoid Crocin Bao X, Hu J, Zhao Y, Jia R, Zhang H, Xia L
Review Article Anti-Tumour Breast Cancer Cervical Cancer
The methodology for the study involved an in-depth review of modern pharmacological studies that have analyzed the therapeutic effects of crocin, a natural compound that can be extracted from saffron. Various anti-tumor effects were assessed including the induction of tumor cell death (apoptosis), restrictions on tumor cell proliferation, and potential barriers to invasion and metastasis of these cells. The potential for enhancement of sensitivity to chemotherapy and improvement of immune status were also examined.
Following the review, the study revealed that crocin has significant anti-tumor properties. It showed that this natural compound can induce apoptosis in tumor cells, inhibit their expansion and progression, and even prevent their invasiveness and metastasis. Furthermore, crocin demonstrated the potential to enhance the body’s responsiveness to chemotherapy and help boost the immune system. These effects were observed across a range of different malignant tumors, including stomach, liver, cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers.
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