Metabolaid® Combination of Lemon Verbena and Hibiscus Flower Extract Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity through AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activation.

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) has been used as a food spice, cosmetic, and in traditional medicine formulations to treat asthma and diabetes in South America and Southern Europe. Hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is used in traditional Chinese medicine in the form of a tea to treat hypertension and inflammation. In the present study, we examined the synergistic effects of a formula of Metabolaid® (MetA), a combination of lemon verbena and hibiscus-flower extracts, on obesity and its complications in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The results showed that MetA decreased body weight, white adipose tissue (WAT), and liver weight. Additionally, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, glucose levels, glucose tolerance, and cold-induced thermogenesis were significantly improved. Appetite-regulating hormones adiponectin and leptin were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, while the inflammatory-related factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were downregulated by MetA. Adipogenesis-activating gene expression was decreased, while increased thermogenesis-inducing genes were upregulated in the WAT, correlating with increased phosphorylation of AMPK and fatty-acid oxidation in the liver. Taken together, these results suggest that MetA decreased obesity and its complications in HFD mice. Therefore, this formula may be a candidate for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.

Echinacea purpurea Protects Against Restraint Stress-Induced Immunosuppression in BALB/c Mice.

Echinacea purpurea has been widely used for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and the common cold. The restraint stress has been reported to suppress a broad spectrum of immune functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of the pressed juice of E. purpurea (L.) Moench (EFLA®894; Echinacea) against restraint stress-induced immunosuppression in BALB/c mice. Echinacea significantly normalized the restraint stress-induced reduction in splenocyte proliferation and splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity (P < .05). Echinacea treatment significantly increased the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the blood (P < .05). In addition, Echinacea restored serum cytokine levels, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17 (IL-17), as well as the mRNA expressions of these cytokines in spleen (P < .05). Our findings suggest that Echinacea might have beneficial effects on restraint stress-induced immunosuppression by increasing splenocyte proliferation and NK cell activity, while modulating T lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels in the blood.

Downregulation of Hepatic De Novo Lipogenesis and Adipogenesis in Adipocytes by Pinus densiflora Bark Extract.

Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) bark extract, PineXol (PX), was investigated for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammation effects in vitro. It was hypothesized that PX treatment (25-150 µg/ml) would reduce the lipid synthesis in HepG2 hepatocytes as well as lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Hepatocytes' intracellular triglycerides and cholesterol were decreased in the PX 150 µg/ml treatment group compared with the control (p < 0.05). Consequently, de novo lipogenic proteins (acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, elongase of very long chain fatty acids 6, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1) were significantly decreased in hepatocytes by PX 150 µg/ml treatment compared with the control (p < 0.05). In differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the lipid accumulation was significantly attenuated by all PX treatments (p < 0.01). Regulators of adipogenesis, including CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and perilipin, were decreased in PX 100 µg/ml treatment compared with the control (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PX might have anti-obesity effects by blocking hepatic lipogenesis and by inhibiting adipogenesis in adipocytes.

FlexPro MD, a Mixture of Krill Oil, Astaxanthin, and Hyaluronic Acid, Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Cytokine Production Through Inhibition of NF-κB.

FlexPro MD® (FP-MD), a novel multi-ingredient dietary supplement formulation, has been demonstrated to relieve knee joint pain in humans. However, the mechanisms of action responsible for the activity of FP-MD have not been elucidated. In this study, we show the anti-inflammatory effects of FP-MD in RAW264.7 macrophage cells and mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). FP-MD significantly inhibited the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1ß. In contrast, it elevated the mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. FP-MD markedly reduced LPS-induced phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and inhibitor of κB-α (IκB-α). Importantly, the anti-inflammatory effects of FP-MD were demonstrated in mice with LPS-induced inflammatory arthritis in which FP-MD significantly reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers. Thus, this study suggests that FP-MD has anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-κB that may offer a molecular basis for its pain relief property.

The Hot-Water Extract of Smilacis Chinae Rhizome Suppresses 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene and House Dust Mite-Induced Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Lesions in Mice.

Smilacis Chinae Rhizome (SCR) has been used as an oriental folk medicine for various biological activities. However, its effect on atopic dermatitis (AD) remains undetermined to date. We assessed the effect of orally administered hot-water extract of SCR on AD-like skin lesions in mice and its underlying mechanisms. AD-like murine model was prepared by repeated alternate application of house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) extract (DFE) and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) for 4 weeks, topically to the ears. Daily oral administration of SCR for 3 and 4 weeks significantly reduced inflammatory ear thickening, with the effect being enhanced at the earlier start and longer period of administration. This effect was accompanied by a significant decrease in both Th2 and Th1 serum antibodies (total IgE, DFE-specific IgE, and IgG2a). Histological analysis showed that SCR markedly decreased the epidermal/dermal ear thickening and the dermal infiltration of inflammatory cells. Furthermore, SCR suppressed DFE/DNCB-induced expression of IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, IL-18, TSLP, and IFN-γ genes in the ear tissue. Taken together, our observations demonstrate that chronic oral administration of SCR exerts beneficial effect in mouse AD model, suggesting that SCR has the therapeutic potential as an orally active treatment of AD by modulating both Th1 and Th2 responses.