Clinical efficacy and mechanistic study of intrauterine administration of E bing angong Ye for the treatment of endometritis in sows

Abstract

Endometritis is a prevalent postpartum disorder in sows that significantly impairs reproductive efficiency. Traditional Chinese herbal formulations have long been applied in gynecological disorders, yet their veterinary applications remain underexplored. Ebing Angong Ye (EBAGY), composed of Curcuma aromatica (turmeric) and Dryobalanops aromatica (camphor) has historically been used to alleviate inflammatory conditions. This suggested a therapeutic potential for treating sow endometritis. We evaluated the clinical efficacy, safety and pharmacological mechanisms of EBAGY in the treatment of sow endometritis. Eighty postpartum sows diagnosed with endometritis were randomly assigned to a high, medium and low-dose EBAGY groups and a positive drug control group of chlorhexidine acetate uterine infusion (n = 20). Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by clinical symptom remission, piglet weaning weight and post-weaning estrus rate. Safety was evaluated in negative control group (n = 8) at up to 5-fold clinical doses. EBAGY treatment improved reproductive performance and had no adverse impact on hematological indices or health status. GC-MS identified borneol, curzerene, curdione and germacrone as major constituents in this formulation. Network pharmacology and in silico docking experiments also linked the therapeutic efficacy to the IL-17 signaling pathway and this was confirmed by direct cytokine measurements. Molecular docking indicated that the primary active compounds in EBAGY possessed strong binding affinities to the IL-17 receptor. ELISA assays further confirmed downregulation of the inflammatory mediators IL-17A, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. 16S rRNA sequencing was also used to demonstrate restoration of the vaginal microbiota to that of the control sows (lacking disease). EBAGY is therefore a safe and effective herbal formulation for sow endometritis, exerting therapeutic actions through anti-inflammatory effects, modulation of the IL-17 signaling pathway and restoration of microbial homeostasis.