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.
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 Cholesterol Chrysanthemum NAFLD
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.
Pomegranate peel extract, along with a calorie deficit diet, could improve risk factors of metabolic syndrome and reduce fatty liver in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
2023 Nutrition Journal Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract ameliorates metabolic syndrome risk factors in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized double-blind clinical trial Barghchi H, Milkarizi N, Belyani S, Norouzian Ostad A, Askari VR, Rajabzadeh F, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial NAFLD Pomegranate Peel
In the first phase, the research involved the hydro-alcoholic extraction of the peel of 750 kilograms of pomegranate using the soaking method. The second phase saw patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease divided into two groups - a placebo group and a pomegranate peel capsule group. Both groups followed a diet with a 500 kcal deficit for eight weeks. Aspects like intolerance to the treatment, participants' dietary intake, their lipid and glycemic profiles, blood pressure, body composition, insulin resistance indexes and changes in fatty liver disease evaluated through elastography were monitored.
Further, the study reported substantial decreases in multiple indicators such as body weight, waist circumference, body mass index, body fat index, trunk fat, blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, LDL cholesterol, fat free mass, and fasting blood sugar in the group that took pomegranate peel capsules compared to the placebo group. Meanwhile, HDL cholesterol and liver steatosis and stiffness saw improvement. No significant differences, however, were found in the insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance between the two groups.
Acupoint application has been proven to be a safe and effective method for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
2023 Medicine Efficacy and safety of acupoint application in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis Tong Y, Yu Y, Yin S, Lin S, Chen Y, Su X
Meta-Analysis Ulcerative Colitis
The methodology incorporated a systematic review of various databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biology Medicine, VIP, Wanfang, Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science up to July 2022 to find published randomized controlled trials on the use of acupoint application in treating ulcerative colitis. Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis were then performed on the selected studies.
The results from the 13 analyzed trials involving a total of 878 cases revealed that the use of acupoint application improved the rates of effective clinical comprehensive and syndrome in ulcerative colitis treatment compared to conventional western medicine. The method also showed advantages in increasing interleukin-4 and reducing interferon-gamma. Also noted was that there were no variances seen regarding colonoscopy, pathological examination, and reaction rates when compared with traditional methods. The quality of the evidence used for these conclusions varied, with some being of moderate quality and others deemed low or very low quality.
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