Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 16695

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chi-Feng Hung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan
Interests: skin pharmacology; ocular pharmacology; cardiovascular pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products including animals, plants, and organic and inorganic substances are used in the treatment of diseases and have solved many human diseases since ancient times. Among them, the research of natural product chemistry has also discovered a lot of new compounds, new structures, and new action mechanisms that contribute to contemporary medicine. Plant-derived compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, saponins, and alkaloids are very popular and are used in the treatment of diseases. Their special mechanisms of action and chemical structures have also developed many drugs for the treatment of diseases. For example, SGLT2 inhibitors are very popular diabetes treatment drugs today. Inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis have now plagued many people and affect their lives. Although there are many drugs to choose from clinically, they either have long-term side effects or are very expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to find more treatment options in the development of drugs. In addition, pathophysiological studies have found that these inflammatory skin diseases have many comorbidities, such as the allergic march phenomenon. Therefore, in this special issue, we hope that more natural product research will find more compounds and their targets. They will bring new opportunities for the treatment of these inflammatory skin diseases and related diseases.

Prof. Dr. Chi-Feng Hung
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

natural product
inflammation
skin
keratinocyte
cytokine
atopic dermatitis
psoriasis

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 7322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coffea arabica Extract Attenuates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions by Regulating NLRP3 Inflammasome Expression and Skin Barrier Functions

by Qiao-Xin Chang, Jia-Ling Lyu, Po-Yuan Wu, Kuo-Ching Wen, Chang-Cheng Chang and Hsiu-Mei Chiang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12367; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512367 - 2 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1849

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease worldwide. The major causes of AD are skin barrier defects, immune dysfunction, and oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation effects of Coffea arabica extract (CAE) and its regulation of the skin barrier and immune functions in AD. In vitro experiments revealed that CAE decreased the reactive oxygen species levels and inhibited the translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), further reducing the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ)/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Moreover, CAE decreased IFN-γ/TNF-α-induced NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) expression levels. It also restored the protein levels of skin barrier function-related markers including filaggrin and claudin-1. In vivo experiments revealed that CAE not only reduced the redness of the backs of mice caused by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) but also reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory factors in their skin. CAE also reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and immune cell infiltration in DNCB-treated mice. Overall, CAE exerted anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation effects and ameliorated skin barrier dysfunction, suggesting its potential as an active ingredient for AD treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 4602 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cornus officinalis Seed Extract Inhibits AIM2-Inflammasome Activation and Attenuates Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Skin Inflammation

by Se-Bin Lee, Ju-Hui Kang, Eun-Jung Sim, Ye-Rin Jung, Jeong-Hyeon Kim, Prima F. Hillman, Sang-Jip Nam and Tae-Bong Kang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065653 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2189

Abstract

The AIM2 inflammasome is an innate immune system component that defends against cytosolic bacteria and DNA viruses, but its aberrant activation can lead to the progression of various inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis. However, there have been few reports of specific inhibitors of AIM2 inflammasome activation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the inhibitory activity of ethanolic extracts of seeds of Cornus officinalis (CO), a herb and food plant used in traditional medicine, on AIM2-inflammasome activation. We found that CO inhibited the release of IL-1β induced by dsDNA in both BMDMs and HaCaT cells, but that it showed no effect on the release of IL-1β induced by NLRP3 inflammasome triggers, such as nigericin and silica, or the NLRC4 inflammasome trigger flagellin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CO inhibited the cleavage of caspase-1, an inflammasome activation marker, and an upstream event, the translocation and speck formation of ASC. In addition, further experiments and mechanistic investigations revealed that CO can inhibit AIM2 speck formation induced by dsDNA in AIM2-overexpressing HEK293T cells. To verify the correlation in vivo, we investigated the efficacy of CO in an imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis model, which has reported associations with the AIM2 inflammasome. We found that topical application of CO alleviated psoriasis-like symptoms, such as erythema, scaling, and epidermal thickening, in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, CO also significantly decreased IMQ-induced expression of AIM2 inflammasome components, including AIM2, ASC, and caspase-1, and led to the elevation of serum IL-17A. In conclusion, our results suggest that CO may be a valuable candidate for the discovery of AIM2 inhibitors and the regulation of AIM2-related diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3691 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fermented Taiwanofungus camphoratus Extract Ameliorates Psoriasis-Associated Response in HaCaT Cells via Modulating NF-𝜅B and mTOR Pathways

by Jia-Wei Shen, Po-Yuan Wu, Yueh-Hsiung Kuo, Qiao-Xin Chang, Kuo-Ching Wen and Hsiu-Mei Chiang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14623; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314623 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease, and until now, it remains an incurable disease. Therefore, the development of new drugs or agents that ameliorate the disease will have marketing potential. Taiwanofungus camphoratus (TC) is a specific fungus in Taiwan. It is demonstrated to have anticancer, anti-inflammation, and hepatoprotective effects. However, the effects of TC fermented extract on psoriasis are under investigation. In this research, we studied the ability of TC on antioxidative activity and the efficacy of TC on interleukin-17 (IL-17A)-induced intracellular oxidative stress, inflammation-relative, and proliferation-relative protein expression in human keratinocytes. The results of a DPPH radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, and hydroxyl peroxide inhibition assay indicated that TC has a potent antioxidant ability. Furthermore, TC could reduce IL-17A-induced intracellular ROS generation and restore the NADPH level. In the investigation of pathogenesis, we discovered TC could regulate inflammatory and cell proliferation pathways via p-IKKα/p-p65 and p-mTOR/p-p70S6k signaling pathways in human keratinocytes. In conclusion, TC showed characteristics such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-psoriatic-associated responses. It is expected to be developed as a candidate for oxidative-stress-induced skin disorders or psoriasis treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 7467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isosorbide Fatty Acid Diesters Have Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Cytokine-Induced Tissue Culture Models of Atopic Dermatitis

by William R. Swindell, Krzysztof Bojanowski and Ratan K. Chaudhuri

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14307; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214307 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2555

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic disease in which epidermal barrier disruption triggers Th2-mediated eruption of eczematous lesions. Topical emollients are a cornerstone of chronic management. This study evaluated efficacy of two plant-derived oil derivatives, isosorbide di-(linoleate/oleate) (IDL) and isosorbide dicaprylate (IDC), using AD-like tissue culture models. Treatment of reconstituted human epidermis with cytokine cocktail (IL-4 + IL-13 + TNF-α + IL-31) compromised the epidermal barrier, but this was prevented by co-treatment with IDL and IDC. Cytokine stimulation also dysregulated expression of keratinocyte (KC) differentiation genes whereas treatment with IDC or IDL + IDC up-regulated genes associated with early (but not late) KC differentiation. Although neither IDL nor IDC inhibited Th2 cytokine responses, both compounds repressed TNF-α-induced genes and IDL + IDC led to synergistic down-regulation of inflammatory (IL1B, ITGA5) and neurogenic pruritus (TRPA1) mediators. Treatment of cytokine-stimulated skin explants with IDC decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) secretion by more than 50% (more than observed with cyclosporine) and in vitro LDH activity was inhibited by IDL and IDC. These results demonstrate anti-inflammatory mechanisms of isosorbide fatty acid diesters in AD-like skin models. Our findings highlight the multifunctional potential of plant oil derivatives as topical ingredients and support studies of IDL and IDC as therapeutic candidates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Anti-Atopic Dermatitis Effects of α-Boswellic Acid on Tnf-α/Ifn-γ-Stimulated HaCat Cells and DNCB-Induced BALB/c Mice

by Ya-Chu Tsai, Hsun-Hao Chang, Sheng-Chieh Chou, Thomas W. Chu, Yu-Jou Hsu, Chien-Yu Hsiao, Yuan-Hsin Lo, Nan-Lin Wu, Der-Chen Chang and Chi-Feng Hung

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9863; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179863 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3427

Abstract

Boswellic acids, triterpenoids derived from the genus Boswellia (Burseraceae), are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor efficacy. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, non-infectious inflammatory skin disease. However, the effects of α-boswellic acid on atopic dermatitis have not been studied. Therefore, in this study we examined the expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, histopathological analysis, and physiological data from BALB/c mice with atopic-like dermatitis induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene and TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells to better understand the agent’s anti-atopic dermatitis efficacy. First, we found that α-boswellic reduced the epidermal thickening, mast cell numbers, and dermal infiltration of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic-like dermatitis in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, we also found that α-boswellic acid can restore transepidermal water loss and skin reddening in mice. In human keratinocytes inflamed by TNF-α/IFN-γ, α-boswellic acid inhibited MAP kinase activation and showed a reduction in NF-κB nuclear translocation. Finally, α-boswellic acid can reduce the expression level of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8) following the stimulation of TNF-α/IFN-γ in HaCaT cells. Taken together, our study suggests that α-boswellic acids are a potential component for the development of anti-atopic dermatitis drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3811 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unveiling the Ability of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.) Bark Extract to Impair Keratinocyte Inflammatory Cascade Typical of Atopic Eczema

by Stefano Piazza, Giulia Martinelli, Andrea Magnavacca, Marco Fumagalli, Carola Pozzoli, Massimo Terno, Luisa Canilli, Marco Angarano, Nicole Maranta, Mario Dell’Agli and Enrico Sangiovanni

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(16), 9279; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23169279 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4183

Abstract

Hamamelis virginiana L. bark extract is a traditional remedy for skin affections, including atopic dermatitis/eczema (AD). Hamamelis preparations contain tannins, including hamamelitannin (HT), although their pharmacological role in AD is still unknown. This study aimed to study the rational for its topical use by considering the impact of crucial biomarkers on AD pathogenesis. A standardized extract (HVE) (0.5–125 μg/mL) was compared to hamamelitannin (HT), its main compound (0.5–5 μg/mL), in a model of human keratinocytes (HaCaTs), challenged with an AD-like cytokine milieu (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4). HVE inhibited the release of mediators involved in skin autoimmunity (IL-6 and IL-17C) and allergy (TSLP, IL-6, CCL26, and MMP-9) with a concentration-dependent fashion (IC_50s < 25 μg/mL). The biological mechanism was ascribed, at least in part, to the impairment of the NF-κB-driven transcription. Moreover, HVE counteracted the proliferative effects of IL-4 and recovered K10, a marker of skin differentiation. Notably, HT showed activity on well-known targets of IL-4 pathway (CCL26, K10, cell proliferation). To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of the potential role of Hamamelis virginiana in the control of AD symptoms, such as itch and skin barrier impairment, supporting the relevance of the whole phytocomplex. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Targeting Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases with Natural Products: Exploring Potential Mechanisms and Regulatory Pathways

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI