Kidney stones, a prevalent urological disorder, are closely associated with oxidative stress (OS) and the inflammatory response. Recent research in the field of kidney stone treatment has indicated the potential of natural active ingredients to modulate OS targets and the inflammatory response in kidney stones. Oxidative stress can occur through various pathways, increasing the risk of stone formation, while the inflammatory response generated during kidney stone formation further exacerbates OS, forming a detrimental cycle. Both antioxidant systems related to OS and inflammatory mediators associated with inflammation play roles in the pathogenesis of kidney stones. Natural active ingredients, abundant in resources and possessing antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, have the ability to decrease the risk of stone formation and improve prognosis by reducing OS and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression or pathways. Currently, numerous developed natural active ingredients have been clinically applied and demonstrated satisfactory therapeutic efficacy. This review aims to provide novel insights into OS and inflammation targets in kidney stones as well as summarize research progress on potential therapeutic strategies involving natural active ingredients. Future studies should delve deeper into exploring efficacy and mechanisms of action of diverse natural active ingredients, proposing innovative treatment strategies for kidney stones, and continuously uncovering their potential applications.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. Wasp venom (WV), which is considered as a traditional folk medicine in Jingpo nationality in Yunnan, China, relieves rheumatoid arthritis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of wasp venom ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in experimental rats. We established a model of type II collagen‐ (CII‐) induced arthritis (CIA) in SD rats and examined the inhibition of inflammation and autoimmune response. The antiarthritic effects of WV were evaluated through the paw swelling, and histopathological score and histopathology changes of the affected paw were assessed. The anti‐inflammation effects were assayed by the level of IL‐6, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and the number of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood. The alteration of the T cell subset ratio in the spleen of rats was detected by flow cytometry, and at the same time, the viscera index and immune serum globulin levels were evaluated. The results suggested that various doses of WV (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated paw swelling and arthritis score in CIA rats with the untreated control (P < 0.05). WV (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) relieved synovial tissue lesions of ankle joints and histopathology scores of synoviocyte hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration with vehicle group (P < 0.05). Regarding immunological regulation, 0.5 mg/kg WV lowered the immune serum globulin levels (P < 0.05), and we further found that WV (0.5 mg/kg) suppressed the immune response of Th cells, while enhancing the functions of Tc cells and Treg cells in spleen cells markedly (P < 0.05). The immunosuppressive action of WV displayed was analogous to its inhibitory effect on IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐8, IL‐6, COX‐2, and PGE2 levels in rat serum. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that WV exhibited antiarthritic activity, which might be associated with their inhibitory effects on immunoregulation and anti‐inflammatory action.

As a folk medicine of the Jingpo minority in Yunnan province, the venom of Vespa magnifica has been commonly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Quality standardization of the wasp venom is a necessary step for its pharmaceutical research and development. To control the quality of the wasp venom, a method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for chemical fingerprint analysis. In the chromatographic fingerprinting, chemometrics procedures, including similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA), were applied to classify 134 batches (S1–S134) of wasp venom from different origins. The HPLC fingerprint method displayed good precision (Relative standard deviation, RSD < 0.27%), stability (in 16 h, RSD < 0.34%), and repeatability (RSD < 1.00%). Simultaneously, four compounds (VMS1, VMS2, VMS3, and VMS4) in the wasp venom were purified and identified. VMS1 was 5-hydroxytryptamine, and the other compounds were three peptides that were sequenced as follows: Gly–Arg–Pro–Hyp–Gly–Phe–Ser–Pro–Phe–Arg–Ile–Asp–NH₂ (VMS2), Ile–Asn–Leu–Lys–Ala–Ile–Ala–Ala–Leu–Ala–Lys–Lys–Leu–Leu–NH₂ (VMS3), and Phe–Leu–Pro–Ile–Ile–Gly–Lys–Leu–Leu–Ser–Gly–Leu–Leu–NH₂ (VMS4). The quantifications for these components were 110.2 mg/g, 26.9 mg/g, 216.3 mg/g, and 58.0 mg/g, respectively. The results of this work indicated that the combination of the chemical fingerprint and quantitative analysis offers a reasonable way to evaluate the quality of wasp venom.

Arthritis has a high global prevalence. During the early ancient human era, bee (Apis) venom therapy was employed in Egypt, Greece, and China to alleviate ailments such as arthritis and neuralgia. In addition, bee venom has long been used as a traditional medicine for immune-related diseases in Korea. Wasp (Vespa) venom is a folk medicine of the Jingpo people in Yunnan, China, and has been widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. In spite of this, the underlying mechanisms of bee and wasp venoms for the treatment of arthritis are yet to be fully understood. In recent years, researchers have investigated the potential anti-arthritic properties of bee and wasp venoms. Studies have shown that both bee and wasp venom can improve swelling, pain, and inflammation caused by arthritis. The difference is that bee venom reduces arthritis damage to bone and cartilage by inhibiting the IRAK2/TAK1/NF-κB signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and JAK/STAT signaling pathway, as well as decreasing osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting the RANKL/RANK signaling pathway. Wasp venom, on the other hand, regulates synovial cell apoptosis via the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway, inhibits the JAK/STAT signaling pathway to reduce inflammation production, and also ameliorates joint inflammation by regulating redox balance and iron death in synovial cells. This review provides a detailed overview of the various types of arthritis and their current therapeutic approaches; additionally, it comprehensively analyzes the therapeutic properties of bee venom, wasp venom, or venom components used as anti-arthritic drugs and explores their mechanisms of action in anti-arthritic therapy.