Desmodium styracifolium: Botanical and ethnopharmacological insights, phytochemical investigations, and prospects in pharmacology and pharmacotherapy.

The purpose of this inquiry is to provide a conprehensive summary and analysis of the literature concerning the pharmacological properties of components that can be extracted from Desmodium styracifolium, a preparation in Chinese medicine. This study also aims to explore their potential application in elaborating medicinal products for the effective prevention and treatment of such conditions as urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, pro-oxidant and inflammatory processes, etc. Several experimental studies confirmed the potential of D. styracifolium to influence mineral metabolism, to decrease the concentration of constituents involved in the formation of urinary calculi, and to reduce mineral encrustation in the urinary tract, as well as to alleviate the damage caused by crystal structures. This beneficial impact is achieved through a combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, along with urine alkalinization. The cholelitholytic, choleretic, and hepatoprotective effects of D. styracifolium plants have been confirmed, primarily ascribed to the activation of the hepatic Xα receptor and the bile acid receptor, farnesoid X receptor, by the flavonoid shaftoside. Special attention is focused on the potential therapeutic applications of flavonoids derived from D. styracifolium for diseases associated with the development of chronic inflammation and systemic response, emphasizing the ability of flavonoids to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by acting directly and through the modulation of transcription factors. It is concluded that new strategies for the prevention and treatment of urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, acute and chronic inflammatory processes may rely on the promising development of dosage forms of D. styracifolium with their subsequent preclinical and clinical trials.

Molecular mechanisms and potential applications of chondroitin sulphate in managing post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a disorder of the synovium, subchondral bone, and cartilage that affects the entire joint, constitutes approximately 12% of all cases of symptomatic osteoarthritis. This review summarizes the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie the positive influence of chondroitin sulphates (CSs) on PTOA as means of preventive and therapeutic treatment. Mechanisms of PTOA development involve chondrocytes undergoing various forms of cell death (apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis and/or necrosis). Chondroitin sulphates are a class of glycosaminoglycans that improve the structure and function of cartilage and subchondral bone, which is associated with their ability to decrease the activation of NF-κB and p38 MAPK, and up-regulate Nrf2. Standardized small fish extract (SSFE) is an example of the drugs that can attenuate NF-κB-mediated systemic inflammation, potentially helping to reduce joint inflammation and cartilage degradation, improve joint function, and alleviate pain and disability in patients with these conditions.