Narrowband-ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) has been used to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis. Chronic use of NB-UVB might cause skin inflammation and lead to skin cancer. In Thailand, Derris Scandens (Roxb.) Benth. is used as an alternative medicine to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for low back pain and osteoarthritis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effect of Derris scandens extract (DSE) on pre- and post exposed NB-UVB human keratinocytes (HaCaT). The results indicated that DSE could not protect HaCaT from cell morphology changes or DNA fragmentation and could not recover cell proliferation ability from the NB-UVB effects. DSE treatment reduced the expression of genes related to inflammation, collagen degradation, and carcinogenesis, such as IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, COX-2, MMP-1, MMP-9, and Bax. These results indicated the potential use of DSE as a topical preparation against NB-UVB-induced inflammation, anti-aging, and prevention of skin cancer from phototherapy.

Introduction: The rhizome of Enhalus acoroides (L.f.) Royle is used in traditional medicine for treatment of many diseases e.g. muscle pains, wounds and stomach problems where pharmacognostical studies are lacking. Many chemical constituents; luteolin, apigenin, luteolin glycosides, stigmasterol, daucosterol have been reported. The aim of this work was to perform a pharmacognostical evaluation. Methods: Macroscopical, microscopical and physicochemical parameters were assessed. Results: E. acoroides has characteristic morphology. Microscopical studies indicated the presence of vessels, fiber, parenchyma cells, sclereids, tracheids and trichomes. Physicochemical parameters of E. acoroides rhizome; foreign matter, loss on drying and total ash content were measured. As well as chemical investigation through TLC and HPLC were specified. Conclusion: The present study of E. acoroides rhizome provides useful information that can serve as a diagnostic tool for the standardization of E. acoroides and will be helpful in characterization of the crude drug in the market.

This present study was designed to isolate the compounds of Memecylon edule. The chemical compounds were purified by chromatographic methods and their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (UV, MS and NMR). The major isolated compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory activity. The methanolic extracts of M. edule leaves gave a new compound 2-butanone 4-glucopyranoside 6′-O-gallate (1) with eight known compounds, namely, 3,3′-di-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) (3), (2R, 3R)–dihydromyricetin-4′-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), myricetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (5), benzyl-(6-O-α-L arabinofuranosyl) O-β-d-glucopyranoside (6), benzyl-(6-O-α-l-rhanmopyranosyl) O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7), 2-phenylethyl-(6-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl)-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (8) and methyl benzoate 2-(6-O-α-l-rhamnosyl)-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (9). All compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. The major compounds (2, 3 and 5) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. In conclusion, M. edule was recognised to be a good source for phenolic compounds and these compounds may contribute to anti-inflammatory activity of the extract.

TPDM6315 is an antipyretic Thai herbal recipe that contains several herbs with anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of TPDM6315 extracts in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages and TNF-α-induced 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and the effects of TPDM6315 extracts on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results showed that the TPDM6315 extracts reduced the nitric oxide production and downregulated the iNOS, IL-6, PGE₂, and TNF-α genes regulating fever in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The treatment of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes with TPDM6315 extracts during a differentiation to the adipocytes resulted in the decreasing of the cellular lipid accumulation in adipocytes. The ethanolic extract (10 µg/mL) increased the mRNA level of adiponectin (the anti-inflammatory adipokine) and upregulated the PPAR-γ in the TNF-α induced adipocytes. These findings provide evidence-based support for the traditional use of TPDM6315 as an anti-pyretic for fever originating from inflammation. The anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory actions of TPDM6315 in TNF-α induced adipocytes suggest that this herbal recipe could be useful for the treatment of metabolic syndrome disorders caused by obesity. Further investigations into the modes of action of TPDM6315 are needed for developing health products to prevent or regulate disorders resulting from inflammation.

Croton tiglium L. seeds, a component of many recipes of Thai traditional medicine (TTM), had to undergo the Thai traditional detoxification process (TDP) before being used. However, this detoxification process has never been scientifically proven for its effectiveness. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the effects of TDP on purgative effect and acute toxicity, as well as the identification of some chemical constituents in C. tiglium seeds before (CB) and after (CA) treatment. The purgative effect and acute toxicity of CB and CA powders were evaluated using Wistar rats. The amounts of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and crotonic acid in the CB and CA powders were determined using HPLC. The results showed no acute toxicity in the rats administered CB and CA powders at doses of 300–2000 mg/kg of body weight (BW). However, CB and CA caused a dose-dependent increase in the number of fecal pellets as well as an increase in the amount of wet and dry feces. Interestingly, only CB, at the dose of 100 mg/kg, caused a significant purgative effect. The TDP was also found to affect the amounts of PMA and crotonic acid. While the amount of PMA in C. tiglium seed powder decreased from 1.59 mg/g in CB to 1.26 mg/g in CA, the amount of crotonic acid decreased from 0.001 mg/g in CB to an undetectable level in CA. This investigation demonstrated that TDP not only reduced the purgative effect and toxicity of croton seeds but also the amounts of PMA and crotonic acid.

Background: Prolonged fever (PF) is one of the most challenging clinical conditions due to its complex molecular mechanisms and limited effective treatments. Objective: The current study aimed to explore the mechanism of action of Mo-Ha-Rak (MHR), a Thai traditional polyherbal remedy, in PF treatment. Methods: Integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages approaches were used. Results: The study identified 86 potential active compounds, 131 potential therapeutic targets, and 9 hub genes for MHR. Key targets with the highest degree of connectivity in PF, including TNF, IL6, IL1B, PTGS2, STAT3, and NFKB1, are closely associated with arachidonic acid metabolism pathways, which play critical roles in infections, inflammation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis in the PF microenvironment. Molecular docking analysis suggested that core compounds exhibited strong binding affinities for four key targets, viz. TNF, IL6, IL1B, and PTGS2, with binding energies ranging from −4.1 to −9.8 kJ/mol. MHR exhibited dose-dependent reduction of NO production at concentrations of 10–100 µg/mL. Among the biomarkers of MHR tested, ellagic acid, loureirin A, resveratrol, and rhein showed potential to inhibit NO production. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that MHR exerts its therapeutic effects on PF through a complex network of multiple compounds, targets, and pathways. These findings highlight the mechanisms of PF and the role of MHR in modulating the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, which underlies the development of fever.