Salicornia herbacea is a halophyte indigenous to marine coastal areas and salt fields and has been used as a traditional remedy for diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and indigestion. Its component isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside (IR3G) may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-adipogenic properties. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effect of S. herbacea extract and IR3G on mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes and db/db obesity mice. S. herbacea extract and IR3G inhibited lipase in a concentration-dependent manner. Oil Red O staining disclosed that S. herbacea extract and IR3G significantly suppressed lipid accumulation and adipogenesis and also inhibited the expression of the C/EBPα in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In experiments using db/db mice, administering of S. herbacea extract limited body weight gain and significantly reduced feed efficiency and adipose tissue weight. Moreover, analyzing blood triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein, it was confirmed that LDL was significantly decreased and total cholesterol slightly reduced by S. herbacea extract. However, there was no significant change by S. herbacea extract in the changes in blood levels of leptin and adiponectin. Taken together, these results suggest that S. herbacea extract and IR3G inhibit adipogenesis by suppressing the pro-adipogenic transcription factors in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and prevent obesity by regulating the blood lipid profile as well as the weight of adipose tissue.

Aucklandia lappa DC., Terminalia chebula Retz and Zingiber officinale Roscoe have been traditionally used in east Asia to treat chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain. This study aimed to evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of KM1608, which is composed of three natural herbs in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis. The anti-inflammatory activity and underlying mechanism were assessed in vitro using LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. The in vivo effect of KM1608 on DSS-induced colitis was examined after oral administration in mice. KM1608 significantly inhibited the inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. The inhibitory effect of KM1608 was attributed to the reduction of Akt phosphorylation in the LPS-treated cells. In the mouse model, oral administration of KM1608 significantly improved DSS-induced colitis symptoms, such as disease activity index (DAI), colon length, and colon weight, as well as suppressed the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the DSS-induced colitis tissues. Taken together, KM1608 improved colitis through the regulation of inflammatory responses, suggesting that KM1608 has potential therapeutic use in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Wound healing is the process of skin and soft tissue repair following an injury. Angiogenesis is an essential process in wound healing and plays an important role in tissue regeneration. Ginseng is mainly composed of saponins and protopanaxadiol-based ginsenosides, namely Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re, Rg1, and Rf. 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) are aglycones of ginsenosides produced by metabolic processes and heat treatment. This study aimed to investigate the wound healing effects of active ingredients of ginseng, namely ginsenosides and aglycones, in various cellular and animal skin wound models. The angiogenic effects of ginsenosides were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). All experiments were conducted at increased intracellular glucose concentrations and the induction of angiogenesis through tube formation was evaluated. Among the ginsenosides and aglycones used in this study, PPD showed the strongest wound-healing activity. Cell scratch experiments confirmed that PPD increased intracellular proliferation and cell migration at high glucose concentrations, and western blotting of HUVECs showed that phosphorylated ERK, Akt, and p38 were regulated. We observed accelerated wound healing with PPD treatment in STZ-treated mice. Overall, the findings suggested that PPD could possibly help improve skin wound healing in patients with diabetes, although further research is recommended.

Some herbal medicines have anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal effects. This study analyzed the modulating effect of gut microbiota of anti-inflammatory herbal medicines on antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The anti-inflammatory effects of 10 herbal medicines and Lizhong-tang active compounds were studied by measuring the nitric oxide production in an in vitro experiment. This was followed by an in vivo experiment in which the anti-diarrheal effects of Lizhong-tang and Magnolia officinalis in a lincomycin-induced AAD mouse model were measured. Changes in the intestinal microflora were observed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Both Lizhong-tang and M. officinalis were effective against AAD, with Lizhong-tang’s anti-diarrheal effects being particularly effective. In addition, the active compounds of Lizhong-tang, liquiritin and 6-gingerol, inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, thus showing an anti-inflammatory effect. Gut microbiota analysis showed that Lizhong-tang could alter the composition of the gut microbiota and ameliorated imbalance in the gut microbiota in a lincomycin-induced AAD mouse model.