Search Results (759)

Symptoms of respiratory tract infections (RTI) caused by viral or bacterial triggers include sore throat and cough. Plantago lanceolata (ribwort plantain) is used in herbal medicine to treat symptoms of RTI. This study evaluated the pharmacological actions of P. lanceolata extract (PL) and StrepCough Plantain-Dry cough syrup (PLS) in in vitro models of sore throat and cough. Human tonsil epithelial cells (HTEpiC) cells were stimulated with a combination of lipoteichoic acid and peptidoglycan in the presence or absence of PL or PLS. Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, PGE₂, and COX-2 were measured using ELISA, while phospho-p65 protein levels were measured using Lumit^® immunoassay. The effects of PL and PLS on bradykinin-induced inflammation and increased intracellular Ca²⁺ were investigated in bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), cells over-expressing TRPV1. Results showed that the pre-treatment of HTEpiC cells with PL and PLS resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the LTA + PGN-induced increased production of TNFα, IL-6, PGE₂, as well as COX-2 and phospho-p65 protein levels. Bradykinin-induced increased levels of TNFα, IL-6, and PGE₂ in BEAS-2B cells over-expressing TRPV1 were also reduced by PL and PLS, while reducing levels of intracellular Ca²⁺. This study has demonstrated that extract of P. lanceolata and StrepCough Plantain-Dry cough syrup reduce inflammation in human tonsil epithelial cells. The extract and syrup also reduced TRPV1-mediated inflammation and increased intracellular Ca²⁺ in BEAS-2B bronchial epithelial cells. This study has provided pharmacological evidence for the use of P. lanceolata in healthcare interventions to treat symptoms of respiratory tract infection. Full article

Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino (P. alkekengi) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with dual edible and medicinal values. Its polysaccharides (PAPs), as core bioactive constituents, have drawn growing research interest amid advances in natural product studies, whereas systematic summaries of existing evidence remain insufficient. This paper collects and analyzes recent progress regarding PAPs extraction, purification, structural characterization, biological activities and targeted applications in diverse food matrices. Current bottlenecks restricting PAPs development are also discussed from multiple research perspectives. Major research outcomes reveal that diverse extraction and purification techniques determine PAPs yield and structural heterogeneity, and characterized structural features are closely associated with their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and other bioactivities. Inadequate mechanistic exploration, incomplete toxicological evaluation and immature industrial extraction systems are critical obstacles limiting further translational application of PAPs. Targeted future research directions are accordingly proposed to address these gaps. This work provides a comprehensive reference and theoretical support for deeper investigation, development and utilization of PAPs as functional food ingredients or herbal bioactive agents. Full article

Herbal medicines represent a significant global market, yet food safety remains threatened by counterfeit products morphologically resembling authentic samples. Models trained on limited datasets are prone to shortcut learning, relying on superficial features rather than intrinsic morphological characteristics. This study identified size-based shortcut learning as a critical factor degrading the classification of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa and its counterfeit Ziziphus mauritiana Lam., and demonstrated that focal loss alone can effectively mitigate this issue. Models trained on the internal dataset were evaluated on an external dataset acquired with the Herb-X. On the internal test set, all configurations achieved high classification accuracies (≥98%), thereby obscuring meaningful differences in external generalization. However, consistent performance degradation was observed on the external dataset. The cross-entropy model trained on background-removed data dropped to 82.08 ± 10.97%, while size-normalized models recovered to 84.17 ± 10.15% (upsizing) and 88.94 ± 6.76% (downsizing), confirming that suppressing size shortcuts improves external generalization. The focal loss model, without any preprocessing, achieved 90.88 ± 2.71%, reducing the internal–external generalization gap from 16.18 to 8.11 percentage points. Grad-CAM++ and loss analyses confirmed that the focal loss model attended to intrinsic morphological features rather than object size. This study provides a practical, preprocessing-free approach for reliable herbal-medicine authentication in field conditions. Full article

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-containing regimens, including bismuth quadruple therapy, may perturb gut microbiota through combined exposure to acid suppression, antibiotics, bismuth, and underlying disease context. Herbal medicines and natural products have been proposed as adjunctive interventions to mitigate treatment-related microbiota perturbations; however, systematic synthesis of the clinical evidence remains limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of herbal and natural product interventions on gut microbiota and clinical outcomes in patients receiving PPI-containing therapy. Six databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CENTRAL, and CNKI) were searched from their inception to March 2026. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I. This review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261346672). Eighteen studies (17 randomized controlled trials, 1 observational study; n = 1984 participants) were included in the final analysis. Meta-analysis demonstrated significantly higher Helicobacter pylori eradication rates (pooled relative risk (RR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.27; I² = 33%). Chinese-style total effective rate was also higher in the herbal groups (RR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.14–1.25; I² = 0%), but this non-standardized outcome should be interpreted cautiously. Exploratory microbiome meta-analyses suggested higher post-treatment Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus levels; however, substantial heterogeneity limited interpretability. Narrative synthesis revealed potential preservation of α-diversity and attenuation of pathobiont proliferation in herbal groups. Overall, herbal and natural product interventions may be associated with favorable clinical outcomes and potential microbiota-modulating effects in patients receiving PPI-containing therapy, but certainty remains limited due to methodological concerns, outcome indirectness, and heterogeneity. High-quality trials stratified by antibiotic exposure are warranted. Full article

Colitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder characterized by persistent mucosal inflammation, epithelial barrier disruption, oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and gut microbiota imbalance. Although current therapies have improved disease management, their long-term use is still limited by incomplete response, relapse, adverse effects, and high cost. Natural products have attracted increasing attention as promising candidates for colitis intervention because of their structural diversity, broad bioactivity, and multitarget regulatory potential. In veterinary medicine, colitis and colitis-related intestinal inflammatory disorders are also clinically relevant in companion animals, horses, and food-producing animals, where they contribute to diarrhea, impaired intestinal barrier function, reduced performance, treatment costs, and antimicrobial-use concerns. Therefore, natural products may have additional value as adjunctive, nutritional, or microbiota-modulating strategies in veterinary and comparative gastroenterology. This review summarizes the major categories of natural products investigated for colitis, including flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, polysaccharides, plant extracts, and traditional herbal formulas, and discusses their principal mechanisms of action, such as anti-inflammatory activity, attenuation of oxidative stress, restoration of intestinal barrier integrity, modulation of immune responses, regulation of gut microbiota, and control of programmed cell death. We also highlight the major limitations of current research, including overreliance on preclinical models, insufficient target validation, poor bioavailability, and limited clinical evidence. Overall, natural products represent an important source of therapeutic candidates for colitis, but their clinical translation will require deeper mechanistic studies, standardized evaluation, and well-designed clinical investigations. Importantly, future studies should distinguish phenotype-associated changes from causal mechanisms by integrating direct target engagement, functional rescue experiments, microbiota-causality validation, and standardized pharmacokinetic and safety assessment. Full article

The genus Cymbopogon comprises neocosmopolitan grasses widely used as medicinal plants and in the perfume, pharmaceutical and herbal product industries. Despite their economic relevance, these species are still considered orphan crops, with limited phytotechnical, genomic and evolutionary studies within the Poaceae family. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary relationships of Cymbopogon flexuosus and Cymbopogon winterianus, with a focus on differences in gene expression associated with the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. De novo transcriptome assembly yielded 25,576 transcripts in C. flexuosus and 42,250 in C. winterianus. A total of 5318 and 8631 more informative differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) were identified in each mapping, among which 76 and 94 were associated with secondary metabolism pathways. When mapping the libraries against related species, the highest percentages of mapped reads per transcriptome and per gene (depth) were observed in Andropogon gerardi, Sorghum bicolor, Saccharum officinarum, Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus lutarioriparius and Zea mays. These results indicate A. gerardi, S. bicolor and Z. mays as the most promising genomic models for future studies within the genus Cymbopogon. Comparison of the expression of transcripts that are homologous to the precursor enzymes of terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and other secondary metabolites revealed a complex and non-linear interaction between the metabolic pathways in each species and it was not possible to predict the predominance of greater expression of a class of metabolites on a given species. Full article

Introduction: Chinese seniors in North America represent a growing population, and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) continues to play an important role in their health practices; however, TCM use has not been comprehensively synthesized from an immigrant perspective in North America. The purpose of this scoping review is to explore the use of TCM by Chinese seniors in Canada and the United States of America (USA). Methods: This scoping review is written in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AgeLine, ERIC, ProQuest, Nursing and Allied Health Database, PsycARTICLES, Sociology Database, and Education Research Complete were selected for the literature search, which was conducted in August 2025. Articles were included if they investigated the use of any form of TCM among Chinese seniors aged 65 years or older living in the USA and Canada, and were published in an English-language peer-reviewed journal. Results: Twenty-four studies were included in this review, with a total sample size of 7288. The findings indicated that, in the majority of the included studies, over half of the Chinese seniors used some form of TCM. TCM therapies included over-the-counter herbal products, TCM-based physical activities, TCM practitioner consulting, and TCM food practices and therapies. Use of TCM among Chinese seniors was related to musculoskeletal symptoms, cardiovascular symptoms, mental health, severe acute respiratory syndrome prevention, cancer screening, and oral health. Chinese seniors tend to integrate TCM with Western medicine in their healthcare practices. Several factors from individual, familial, and community levels influenced Chinese seniors’ use of TCM. Conclusions: Future research should investigate the integration of TCM with Western healthcare, the training of healthcare providers to improve their understanding of TCM, and the underlying mechanisms of TCM products. Full article

As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Cannabis sativa holds broad prospects for application in the development of functional foods, pharmaceutical formulations, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products. However, the bioactivity of polysaccharides in C. sativa has been largely overlooked. In this study, crude C. sativa leaf polysaccharide (CSLP) was extracted using the hot-water extraction and ethanol-precipitation method. CSLP contains 64.15 ± 1.96% carbohydrates and 2.13 ± 0.47% protein, with a yield of 6.71 ± 0.84% (w/w). Preliminary structural characterization showed that CSLP was mainly composed of arabinose, galactose, and glucose, with a molecular weight of 28.867 kDa. CSLP not only demonstrated potential in vitro antioxidant activity against ABTS, DPPH, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals, but also repaired H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in RAW 264.7 macrophages by increasing the cellular levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, and reducing MDA levels. Mechanistically, CSLP possibly modulated the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway in H₂O₂-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells via upregulating the gene expressions of Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1, while downregulating Keap1 expression. These results suggest that CSLP could potentially be used as an antioxidant ingredient in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Full article

Ensuring the safety of sustainably managed medicinal plants is closely linked to the quality of plant raw materials, including the presence of heavy metals within safe limits. Sustainable management in the context of herbal raw materials therefore entails responsible management of herbal plant resources, integrating environmental protection with ensuring long-term economic profitability. The aim of this study was to analyze selected biochemical parameters and to determine metal concentrations in soils and leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. collected from natural habitats at increasing distances from traffic routes. The content of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb was determined in the soils and leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. Assessing the content of these elements in plant raw materials allows for: the prevention of harmful substances in final products, adaptation of raw materials to applicable safety standards (avoiding toxicity), and protection of consumer health. This promotes sustainable development by building a safe supply chain. The leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. were also tested for biochemical enzymatic (catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) and non-enzymatic (chlorophyll a and b (Chl a and b), carotenoids (Car), ascorbic acid (AAC)), and mechanisms regulating the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. Based on the results of leaf pH, relative water content (RWC), ascorbic acid content, and total chlorophyll content, the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was calculated. The distance from the road has a significant impact on the concentration of the heavy metals analyzed. The soils were found to be free of Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni contamination. However, analysis of Plantago lanceolata L. leaves revealed exceedances of acceptable lead limits for herbal plants. The content of pigments, the ratio of Chl a/b, and Chl (a + b)/Car in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. was significantly dependent on the distance from the road. The activity of CAT and SOD in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata L. growing closest to the road was significantly higher compared to the others. APTI values suggest that Plantago lanceolata L. exhibits sensitivity to pollution, independent of its distance from the emission source. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of dichloromethanic, methanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of seventeen different selected Balkan medicinal herbs with ethnopharmacological interest, with the goal of identifying the most bioactive candidates for further investigation of their therapeutic efficacy in human diseases. A total of fifty-four extracts were initially screened; due to the high sample number, only the most active samples were advanced to subsequent assays in order to identify bioactive candidates with potential therapeutic efficacy in human diseases. The methanolic extract of Cotinus coggygria showed the highest radical scavenging activity (DPPH: 96.4% inhibition), the hydroalcoholic extract of Hypericum empetrifolium exhibited the most potent iron chelation (IC₅₀: 5.0 μg/mL) and the methanolic extract of Sedum sediforme presented the best anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro assays (LOX IC₅₀: 39.4 μg/mL, COX-1 inhibition: 93.1% and COX-2 inhibition: 94.0%). Furthermore, significant inhibition of tyrosinase and collagenase was observed for the methanolic extract of Cistus creticus (94.2% tyrosinase inhibition, 86.8% collagenase inhibition) and the methanolic extract of Cotinus coggygria (83.1% tyrosinase inhibition, 96.1% collagenase inhibition). In vivo, five promising plant extracts were selected and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity using a carrageenan-induced paw edema model in female C57BL/6 mice. The study aimed to assess the in vivo anti-inflammatory potential of these extracts under acute inflammatory conditions. The methanolic extract of Cotinus coggygria proved the most active, significantly reducing paw edema by 34% compared to the non-treated control, indicating a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and supporting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic relevance. The results of this study indicate that several selected herbal extracts exhibit notable pharmacological activities. Given their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and inhibitory properties against enzymes related to skin function, these extracts warrant further in vivo and (pre)clinical investigation for potential use in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products targeting skin disorders associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Full article

An essential multiprotein complex in the innate immune system is the NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Through the coordination of upstream sensors and the adaptor protein ASC, which converge on the inflammasome complex in response to pathogens and cellular homeostatic disruptions, a broad range of metabolic danger signals activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. New research demonstrates the anti-inflammatory qualities of natural products, suggesting that they could be used as supplemental treatments for a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders. The literature related to inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome was compiled using keywords such as “NLRP3 Inflammasome”, “Natural products”, and “Inhibitor” from scientific databases, including “China Knowledge Resource Integrated Databases (CNKI)”, “Google Scholar”, “PubMed”, and “Web of Science” and so on, covering the period from 1997 to 2025. Herbal remedies have shown protection against the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. For the treatment of chronic inflammatory illnesses, natural products’ capacity to prevent NLRP3 inflammasome activation offers a novel and practical therapeutic approach. The impact of natural compounds made from medicinal plants on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and their underlying mechanisms of action are the main topics of this review. Full article

The Wannachawee Recipe (WCR) is a traditional Thai herbal formulation with a clinical history of use in psoriasis. An observational study conducted at Prapokklao Hospital reported that 93% of psoriasis patients showed good clinical responses. However, the absence of standardized quality control parameters remains a critical barrier to its pharmaceutical reproducibility, safety, and integration into mainstream clinical practice. This study established robust quality specifications and a phytochemical profiling for WCR, in accordance with the Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia (THP) guidelines, to support its development from traditional use to a standardized therapeutic agent. A multimodal analytical approach was employed, integrating microscopic characterization, physicochemical evaluation, and advanced instrumental techniques. Phytochemical characterization was conducted using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting and Compact Mass Spectrometry (CMS). A validated HPLC method was developed to quantify trans-p-coumaryl alcohol, a key bioactive marker. Anti-inflammatory activity was further assessed by measuring inhibition of nitric oxide production. Physicochemical analysis established rigorous benchmarks, including ethanol-soluble extractive (8.73 ± 0.15% w/w), water-soluble extractive (18.89 ± 0.09% w/w), and loss on drying (<10%), which ensure long-term stability and microbial safety. CMS analysis successfully identified key chemical constituents, including alpha-amyrin, stemone, protocatechuic acid, and trans-p-coumaryl alcohol. HPLC fingerprinting demonstrated high batch-to-batch consistency, while quantitative analysis determined a trans-p-coumaryl alcohol content of 8.77 mg/g extract. Critically, biological evaluation showed that WCR exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide production, with a superior inhibitory effect compared with the reference drug indomethacin. This study provides a preliminary scientific framework for the standardization of WCR. It defines precise quality specifications and a potential bioactive marker, establishing the rigor needed for regulatory certification and industrial production. This work connects traditional Thai medicine with evidence-based pharmaceutics, positioning WCR as a promising therapy for psoriasis. Full article

The skin represents the largest organ in the body and functions to protect internal tissues from damage and infection. When wounds in small animals do not receive proper management, they may progress to chronic conditions, resulting in pain, delayed healing, and impaired well-being. Although conventional treatment mainly includes the use of topical antimicrobial agents and anti-inflammatory drugs, integrative veterinary medicine has been considered a promising complementary approach to enhance tissue repair. In this context, this study aimed to review non-conventional therapies applied to wound management in small animals, focusing on ozone therapy, light therapy that stimulates cellular activity, herbal medicine, and apitherapy, especially propolis. Overall, the analyzed studies indicate that ozone may contribute to microbial control and modulation of the immune response; light therapy may stimulate cellular activity and collagen production, promoting healing; medicinal plants present antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; and propolis demonstrates antimicrobial and regenerative properties. Thus, when responsibly applied and supported by scientific evidence, these approaches may complement conventional therapy, broaden clinical possibilities, and contribute to improved recovery and quality of life in animals. Full article

Background and Objectives: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are found to have a higher risk of dental diseases. Although herbal medicines (HMs) have long been used to treat various conditions, few studies focus on its impact on dental diseases. In this longitudinal cohort study, we assessed the correlation between HM use and risk of dental diseases in RA groups. Materials and Methods: A total of 2359 persons with RA aged 20–80 who were free of dental diseases between 2001 and 2010 were retrospectively enrolled from nationwide register-based data. They were then classified into HMs and non-HMs groups based on whether they ever used combined HMs after RA onset. Incidence rate and hazard ratios (HRs) of dental diseases were estimated for both groups by the end of 2013 via fitting Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Incidence rate of dental disease was reported to be lower in the HMs group than in the non-HMs group (90.21 per 1000 person-years versus 106.94 per 1000 person-years, respectively). RA individuals treated with HMs showed a significantly lower risk of dental diseases, especially dental caries, pulpitis, periodontitis, and stomatitis. Among commonly prescribed formulas, eleven herbal products significantly associated with a lower risk of dental diseases, such as Hai-Piao-Xiao, Yan-Hu-Suo, Chuan-Niu-Xi, Mo-Yao, Olibanum, Bei-Mu, Mu-Gua, Gui-Zhi-Shao-Yao-Zhi-Mu-Tang, Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang, Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang, and Ping-Wei-San. Conclusions: The addition of HMs treatment may have advantages to proactively prevent sequent risk of dental disorders for persons with rheumatic diseases. A deeper exploration focusing on pharmacological action is needed to provide more reliable evidence for the improvement of susceptible individuals’ oral hygiene. Full article

Jamu is a traditional Indonesian herbal beverage widely consumed for its perceived health benefits; however, its broader acceptance is often constrained by intense sensory characteristics. This study investigated the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of five commonly consumed jamu beverages (wedang jahe, beras kencur, kunyit asam, temulawak, and pahitan) using an integrated sensory and consumer research approach. Commercial powdered jamu products were evaluated by 120 consumers familiar with jamu. Significant differences in consumer acceptance were observed among formulations (p < 0.05), with beras kencur and wedang jahe showing the highest liking, kunyit asam moderate acceptance, and temulawak and pahitan the lowest. Sensory characterization revealed a clear perceptual continuum across jamu beverages, ranging from sweet, refreshing, and spicy profiles to strongly bitter, herbal, and medicinal characteristics. Analysis of sensory intensity perception indicated that excessive bitterness and herbal intensity, as well as insufficient sweetness, were the primary contributors to reduced consumer liking. Furthermore, consumer responses to jamu were heterogeneous, with distinct acceptance patterns observed across different consumer groups. By linking sensory perception with consumer preference, this study provides scientifically grounded insights to support the development, reformulation, and targeted positioning of jamu beverages as modern functional drinks while preserving their traditional identity. Full article