Chronic inflammation drives the development of various pathological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The arachidonic acid pathway represents one of the major mechanisms for inflammation. Prostaglandins (PGs) are lipid products generated from arachidonic acid by the action of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and their activity is blocked by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The use of natural compounds in regulation of COX activity/prostaglandins production is receiving increasing attention. In Mediterranean diet, olive oil and table olives contain significant dietary sources of maslinic acid. Maslinic acid is arising as a safe and novel natural pentacyclic triterpene which has protective effects against chronic inflammatory diseases in variousin vivoandin vitroexperimental models. Understanding the anti-inflammatory mechanism of maslinic acid is crucial for its development as a potential dietary nutraceutical. This review focuses on the mechanistic action of maslinic acid in regulating the inflammation pathways through modulation of the arachidonic acid metabolism including the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/COX-2 expression, upstream protein kinase signaling, and phospholipase A₂enzyme activity. Further investigations may provide insight into the mechanism of maslinic acid in regulating the molecular targets and their associated pathways in response to specific inflammatory stimuli.

Background: D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS), an amphiphilic derivative of natural vitamin E, functions as both a drug efflux inhibitor and a protector against enzymatic degradation and has been widely incorporated into nano-formulations for drug design and delivery. Objective: This systematic review evaluates TPGS-based organic nanocarriers, emphasizing their potential to enhance bioavailability of active compounds which include drugs and phytochemicals, improve pharmacokinetic profiles, and optimize therapeutic outcomes, eventually overcoming the limitations of conventional oral active compounds delivery. Search strategy: Data collection was carried out by entering key terms (TPGS) AND (Micelle OR Liposome OR Nanoparticle OR Nanotube OR Dendrimer OR Niosome OR Nanosuspension OR Nanomicelle OR Nanocrystal OR Nanosphere OR Nanocapsule) AND (Oral Bioavailability) into the Scopus database. Inclusion criteria: Full-text articles published in English and relevant to TPGS, which featured organic materials, utilized an oral administration route, and included pharmacokinetic study, were included to the final review. Data extraction and analysis: Data selection was conducted by two review authors and subsequently approved by all other authors through a consensus process. The outcomes of the included studies were reviewed and categorized based on the types of nanocarriers. Results: An initial search of the database yielded 173 records. After screening by title and abstract, 52 full-text articles were analyzed. A total of 21 papers were excluded while 31 papers were used in this review. Conclusions: This review concludes that TPGS-based organic nanocarriers are able to enhance the bioavailability of various active compounds, including several phytochemicals, leveraging TPGS’s amphiphilic nature, inhibition of efflux transporters, protection against degradation, and stabilization properties. Despite using the same excipient, variability in particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency among nanocarriers indicates the need for tailored formulations. A comprehensive approach involving the development and standardized comparison of diverse TPGS-incorporated active compound formulations is essential to identify the optimal TPGS-based nanocarrier for improving a particular active compound’s bioavailability.

Chronic inflammation is one of the predisposing factors for neoplastic transformation. Targeting inflammation through suppression of the pro-inflammatory pathway by dietary phytochemicals provides an important strategy for cancer prevention. Maslinic acid is a novel natural triterpenoid known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in some tumor cell lines. Although maslinic acid has cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects on cancer cells, the underlying mechanisms of its effects on the inflammatory pathway have yet to be elucidated. It has been reported that abnormal expression of pro-inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) causes promotion of cellular proliferation, suppression of apoptosis, enhancement of angiogenesis and invasiveness. In the present study, the suppressive effect of maslinic acid on COX-2 expression and the binding activity of upstream transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1, which are known to regulate COX-2 transcriptional activation, were assessed using Raji cells. The anti-inflammatory action of maslinic acid was benchmarked against oleanolic acid and other standard drugs. Western blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) were employed to analyze COX-2 expression as well as NF-κB and AP-1 binding activity. Our results showed that maslinic acid suppresses COX-2 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Likewise, the constitutive nuclear NF-κB (p65) activity as well as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)- and sodium n-butyrate (SnB)-induced AP-1 binding activity in Raji cells were significantly reduced following treatment with maslinic acid. Since maslinic acid suppresses COX-2 expression in Raji cells at concentrations that also lowered the NF-κB (p65) and AP-1 binding activity, it is possible that the suppression of COX-2 by this natural triterpenoid might be achieved, at least in part, via the NF-κB and AP-1 signaling pathways.

Traditional Chinese medicine body constitution (TCMBC) reflects a person’s vulnerability to diseases. Thus, identifying body constitutions prone to depression can help prevent and treat depression. The review aimed to assess and summarize the existing evidence that explores the relationship between TCMBC and depression. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, MEDLINE, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, Embase, VIP, CINAHL, and CMJ were searched from inception to April 2021. Observational studies assessing the association between TCMBC and depression were selected. The quality of the included studies were assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Eighteen studies were included in the systematic review and thirteen in the meta-analysis. The pooled odd ratios of developing depression for Qi-stagnation, Qi-deficiency, Yang-deficiency, Yin-deficiency, and Balanced constitutions were 3.12 (95% CI, 1.80–5.40; I² = 94%), 2.15 (95% CI, 1.54–3.01; I² = 89%), 1.89 (95% CI, 0.71–5.03; I² = 81%), 1.41 (95% CI, 0.91–2.20; I² = 57%), and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.40–0.90; I² = 94%), respectively. The findings suggest that the evaluation of a person’s TCMBC could be useful the in prevention and treatment of depression. However, more case-control and cohort studies are required to further confirm the association between TCMBC and depression.