Duchesnea chrysantha is a Rosaceae plant that has traditionally been used to treat a variety of diseases in Korea and other parts of East Asia. The antiinflammatory effect of Duchesnea chrysantha extract (DcE) on atopic dermatitis was investigated in vitro and in vivo.
After treatment with house dust mite extract, DcE inhibited the production of IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 in THP-1 cells and the release of IL-6 and MCP-1 in EoL-1 cells. In the in vivo experiment, Nc/Nga mice were sensitised to DNCB and then given DcE (50 mg/kg in PBS) orally and dorsally for three weeks.
When compared to the control group, DcE administration significantly reduced skin severity and inhibited epidermal thickening and inflammatory cell infiltration into the dermis. Furthermore, serum IgE levels in DcE-treated mice were significantly lower than in the control group.
The synthesis of IL-5, IL-13, MCP-1, and eotaxin was also reduced in DcE-treated splenocytes, whereas IFN- was increased in the Dc-administered group. These findings could imply that DcE prevents the development of atopic dermatitis-like lesions by lowering IgE and inflammatory cytokine levels, and that it could be useful in the development of drugs for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Duchesnea chrysantha (D. chrysantha) is an ethnopharmacologically significant herb with anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties.
Aim of the study: Asthma is an inflammatory lung disease characterised by increased inflammatory cell infiltration into the airways and poor respiratory function.
Although D. chrysantha may have an inhibitory effect on lung inflammation, the effects of D. chrysantha on asthma have not been thoroughly investigated. We investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of D. chrysantha extract (Dc extract) on lung inflammation in a murine model of ovalbumin-induced asthma in this study.
Dc extract was obtained using 80% ethanol from dried and powdered whole plants of D. chrysantha. As a mouse model of asthma, BALB/c mice were sensitised to ovalbumin and nebulized.
RT-PCR and ELISA were used to assess cytokine mRNA and protein expression. Using periodic acid-Schiff staining as well as hematoxylin and eosin staining, we investigated the effects of Dc extract on leukocyte infiltration and mucus secretion.
Dc extract inhibited leukocytosis and eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid significantly (p0.01). Despite the lack of a significant value, Dc extract significantly reduced the increased infiltration of inflammatory cells (p0.05) and inhibited the increased mucus secretion. Although Dc extract had a weak effect on mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and eotaxin, it had a strong effect on protein expression of IL-5 (p0.05) and eotaxin (p0.01) in BAL fluid. Dc extract inhibited ovaalbumin-specific IgE levels in serum and BAL fluid (p0.05).
Conclusions: These findings suggest that Dc extract may have anti-asthmatic effects and may provide evidence that Dc extract is a useful agent in the treatment of allergic airway disease.