Asthma is a common respiratory disease worldwide. Cytokines play a crucial role in the immune system and the inflammatory response to asthma. Abnormal cytokine expression may lead to the development of asthma, which may contribute to pathologies of this disease. As cytokines exhibit pleiotropy and redundancy characteristics, we summarized them according to their biologic activity in asthma development. We classified cytokines in three stages as follows: Group 1 cytokines for the epithelial environment stage, Group 2 cytokines for the Th2 polarization stage, and Group 3 cytokines for the tissue damage stage. The recent cytokine-targeting therapy for clinical use (anti-cytokine antibody/anti-cytokine receptor antibody) and traditional medicinal herbs (pure compounds, single herb, or natural formula) have been discussed in this review. Studies of the Group 2 anti-cytokine/anti-cytokine receptor therapies are more prominent than the studies of the other two groups. Anti-cytokine antibodies/anti-cytokine receptor antibodies for clinical use can be applied for patients who did not respond to standard treatments. For traditional medicinal herbs, anti-asthmatic bioactive compounds derived from medicinal herbs can be divided into five classes: alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, polyphenols, and terpenoids. However, the exact pathways targeted by these natural compounds need to be clarified. Using relevant knowledge to develop more comprehensive strategies may provide appropriate treatment for patients with asthma in the future.

Arecoline, which is a primary alkaloid in areca nuts, contributes in key ways to the development of oral submucous fibrosis and the subsequent oral cancer through the induction of oxidative stress, promotion of fibrosis, and activation of oncogenic signaling. Salvianolic acid B (SAB) is the most abundant water-soluble phenolic compound found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. SAB appears to have the potential to mitigate the effects of arecoline. However, the interaction between SAB and arecoline in oral cancer has been less frequently discussed. Therefore, we conducted this study in which SCC-4 tongue cancer cells were treated with arecoline alone or in combination with SAB. The effects on collagen contraction, cell migration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and transcriptomic alterations were assessed. Arecoline increased collagen contraction, ROS accumulation, and the activation of tumor-promoting pathways, including TGF-β/Smad, EGFR, MAPK, and ferroptosis. In contrast, SAB effectively decreased collagen contraction, reduced cell migration, and attenuated oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, in the presence of arecoline, SAB supplementation reversed fibrosis-related processes, modulated metabolic activity, and enhanced DNA repair mechanisms, thereby counteracting arecoline-induced oncogenic effects. Therefore, SAB, through its ability to reduce oxidative stress, fibrosis, and metabolic dysregulation, is a promising therapeutic candidate for mitigating arecoline-induced tumor progression. Our study offers novel insights into the role of SAB in protecting against the pathophysiology of oral cancer and highlights its potential as a natural compound for the prevention and treatment of this disease.