Physalis alkekengi L. calyx (PC) extract can relieve insulin resistance and has glycemic and anti-inflammatory effects; however, the potential mechanisms related to gut microbiota and metabolites remain elusive. This study aimed to understand how PC regulates gut microbiota and metabolites to exert anti-obesogenic effects and relieve insulin resistance. In this study, a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF)-diet-induced obesity C57BL/6J male mice model with glycolipid metabolism dysfunction was established, which was supplemented with the aqueous extract of PC daily for 10 weeks. The results showed that the PC supplementation could effectively cure the abnormal lipid metabolism and maintain glucose metabolism homeostasis by regulating the expression of adipose metabolic genes and glucose metabolism genes in the liver, thereby effectively alleviating the inflammatory response. PC treatment also increased the contents of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyric acid. PC extract could restore the HFHF-disrupted diversity of gut microbiota by significantly increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and decreasing those of Romboutsia, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1. The negative effects of the HFHF diet were ameliorated by PC by regulating multiple metabolic pathways, such as lipid metabolism (linoleic acid metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism) and amino acid metabolism (histidine and tryptophan metabolism). Correlation analysis showed that among the obesity parameters, gut microbiota and metabolites are directly and closely related. To sum up, this study suggested that PC treatment exhibited therapeutic effects by regulating the gut microbiota, fecal metabolites, and gene expression in the liver to improve glucose metabolism, modulate adiposity, and reduce inflammation.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reductions in T-cell function and exhaustion have been observed in patients post-infection of COVID-19. T cells are key mediators of anti-infection and antitumor, and their exhaustion increases the risk of compromised immune function and elevated susceptibility to cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common subtype of lung cancer with high incidence and mortality. Although the survival rate after standard treatment such as surgical treatment and chemotherapy has improved, the therapeutic effect is still limited due to drug resistance, side effects, and recurrence. Recent advances in molecular biology and immunology enable the development of highly targeted therapy and immunotherapy for cancer, which has driven cancer therapies into individualized treatments and gradually entered clinicians’ views for treating NSCLC. Currently, with the development of photosensitizer materials, phototherapy has been gradually applied to the treatment of NSCLC. This review provides an overview of recent advancements and limitations in different treatment strategies for NSCLC under the background of COVID-19. We discuss the latest advances in phototherapy as a promising treatment method for NSCLC. After critically examining the successes, challenges, and prospects associated with these treatment modalities, their profound prospects were portrayed.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a widespread chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation and gut dysbiosis. Paeoniflorin (PAF) exhibits potential against NAFLD, yet its antioxidant mechanism via the gut-liver axis remains unclear. In a high-fat/sucrose (HFS) diet-induced NAFLD mouse model, C57BL/6 mice received PAF (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) for 10 weeks. Oxidative stress markers, histopathology, gut microbiota, and serum metabolomics were conducted, with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) applied for causal validation. PAF ameliorated metabolic disorders by suppressing hepatic lipogenesis and promoting cholesterol excretion. PAF significantly ameliorated oxidative stress by enhancing hepatic and colonic anti-oxidant capacity, evidenced by increased SOD activity and decreased MDA levels. It concurrently reduced systemic inflammation and enhanced intestinal barrier integrity via upregulation of tight junction proteins. Furthermore, PAF reshaped the gut microbiota, elevating beneficial Akkermansia and microbial-derived SCFAs, while suppressing pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory pathogens like Desulfovibrio and Helicobacter. FMT confirmed that these antioxidant and metabolic benefits were mediated by the gut microbiota. In conclusion, PAF alleviates NAFLD primarily through potent antioxidant actions and anti-inflammatory, achieved via remodeling gut microbial ecology and reinforcing intestinal barrier.