Amomi Fructus has been used to treat digestive diseases in the context of traditional Chinese medicine, so we evaluated the effects of a volatile oil from Amomum villosum (VOA) on intestinal mucositis induced by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). We measured the effect of VOA and its main active constituent, bornyl acetate (BA), on body weight, food intake, diarrhea, inflammatory cytokines, the mucosal barrier, and gut microbiota. VOA and BA significantly increased the rats’ body weight, relieved diarrhea, and reversed histopathological changes in the gut and inflammation. VOA significantly inhibited apoptosis and alleviated the endoenteritis by downregulating p38 MAPK and caspase-3 expression. VOA and BA strengthened the intestinal mucosal barrier by increasing zonula occludin-1 and occludin expression. VOA and BA reduced the amount of pathogenic bacteria and increased the abundance of probiotics. Thus, VOA prevented the development and progression of intestinal mucositis after chemotherapy.

Despite the increase in the global prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), no approved drug currently exists for the disease. Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (P. cocos) is a medicinal mushroom belonging to a family of polyporaceae widely used in TCM clinics to protect the liver and treat obesity. However, its efficacy, practical components, and underlying mechanism against MAFLD are yet to be determined. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Poria cocos (P. cocos) ethanol extract (EPC) on hepatic dyslipidemia, steatosis, and inflammation by both bioinformatics analysis and MAFLD rats induced by HFD feeding. We found EPC treatment dramatically reduced lipid accumulation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and liver injury. EPC reduced serum TC, TG levels, and hepatic TG, TBA, and NEFA contents. UHPLC Q-Trap/MS examination of BA profiles in serum and feces showed that EPC increased fecal conjugated BAs, decreased free BAs, and improved BA metabolism in HFD-fed rats. Western blot and RT-qPCR analysis showed that EPC could activate hepatic FXR and PPARα expression and reduce CYP7A1 and SREBP-1c expression. Systemic pharmacology combined with molecular docking suggested that poricoic acid B and polyporenic acid C, the major active compounds in EPC, could ameliorate lipid homeostasis by activating the nuclear receptor PPARα. We further confirmed their inhibition effects of lipid droplet deposition in steatized L-02 hepatocytes. In summary, EPC alleviated HFD-induced MAFLD by regulating lipid homeostasis and BA metabolism via the FXR/PPARα-SREBPs signaling pathway. P. cocos triterpenes, such as poricoic acid B and polyporenic acid C, were the characteristic substances of P. cocos for the treatment of MAFLD.

Introduction: Amomum villosum Lour., a herbaceous plant in the ginger family, has been proven to be effective in treating gastrointestinal diseases. It has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopeia as a legal source of Amomi Fructus. In our previous study, we demonstrated that treatment with extracts of A. villosum prevented the development and progression of intestinal mucositis. In the current study, we aimed to verify and explain the potential beneficial effects of A. villosum on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The effect of water extracts (WEAV) and volatile oil of A. villosum (VOAV) were evaluated on the immunological role of T lymphocytes and intestinal microecology in IBD rats induced with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). Body weight, food intake, colon length/weight, and disease activity index (DAI) as well as tissue damage scores were evaluated. The inflammatory response to IBD was assessed by measuring the expression of myeloperoxidase, interleukin (IL)-17 (IL-17), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). The percentage of regulatory CD4⁺ T cells in rat spleen was measured by flow cytometry and effects on the microbial community were evaluated by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Results: All TNBS-induced rats showed typical clinical manifestations of IBD. IBD rats in the WEAV and VOAV treatment groups were effective in relieving body weight and appetite loss. Middle and high dosage of VOAV and WEAV significantly reduced the DAI, and tissue damage scores, whereas colon weight/length ratio was increase. All rats in the WEAV and VOAV groups showed significantly decreased IFN-γ levels and increased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β. Moreover, we observed that the percentage of regulatory CD4⁺ T cells was significantly enhanced during treatment with WEAV. In addition, administration of WEAV and VOAV effectively inhibited the release of enterogenic endotoxin, increased short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria belonging to Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria. Conclusion: Treatment with WEAV and VOAV significantly attenuated intestinal inflammation in IBD rats, which was possibly associated with its regulation on inflammatory cytokine and CD4⁺CD25⁺FOXP3⁺ T cells. Moreover, WEAV and VOAV may help maintaining the balance of intestinal microecology.