Journal of ethnopharmacology最新文献

{"title":"Tongsai Granules Ameliorate Airway Mucus Hypersecretion in AECOPD by Remodeling LIPA-Driven Ceramide Metabolism.","authors":"Mengmeng Cheng, Kangchen Li, Zeyu Zhang, Nan Xin, Xinguang Liu, Yan Du, Peng Zhao, Qin Zhang, Jiansheng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Tongsai Granules (TSG) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula traditionally used for the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) with phlegm-heat obstructing lung syndrome, a condition characterized by cough, excessive sputum production, and dyspnea; however, its underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>To investigate the mechanisms by which TSG alleviates airway mucus hypersecretion in AECOPD through regulation of the LIPA/ceramide axis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A murine AECOPD model and airway epithelial cells were used. Proteomic and lipidomic analyses, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS), and LIPA overexpression and knockdown assays were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>TSG improved pulmonary function, attenuated lung injury and inflammation, and suppressed MUC5AC expression in AECOPD mice. Multi-omics analyses showed that TSG regulated lipid metabolism and reduced triglyceride and ceramide accumulation while downregulating lysosomal acid lipase A (LIPA). Several serum-exposed constituents of TSG inhibited MUC5AC expression. Bergenin (BER) was selected as a representative bioactive constituent for subsequent target-identification and mechanistic studies. Molecular docking, SPR, and DARTS assays demonstrated direct interaction between BER and LIPA. LIPA knockdown suppressed MUC5AC expression, whereas LIPA overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effect of BER. Moreover, exogenous ceramide reversed BER-mediated suppression of MUC5AC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TSG alleviates airway mucus hypersecretion in AECOPD by targeting the LIPA/ceramide axis. Bergenin directly targets LIPA to regulate lipid metabolism and suppress MUC5AC overexpression.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122543"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149224168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Tianlong Kechuanling ameliorated COPD-PH through DNMT3A-GSDMD axis-dependent regulation of endothelial cell pyroptosis\" [J. Ethnopharmacol. 353, (2025), 120332].","authors":"Huihua Li, Zhenqiu Li, Jing Gong, Yuling Yan, Xiaoqing Cui, Qinghe Yu, Yuanyuan Shi, Xiaoying Tian, Qing Jiang, Zhirou Tan, Yiting Yang, Wei Zhou, Qi Ding, Peng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122383","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122383"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149224234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to \"Musk ameliorates acute high-altitude cerebral edema by regulating necroptosis-microglial polarization crosstalk through the HIF-1α/RIPK3 axis\" [J. Ethnopharmacol. 372 (2027) 122165].","authors":"Wenqian Song, Siyuan Wu, Chengshu Jiang, Yue Han, Huxinyue Duan, Nan Jia, Zherui Shen, Chunjie Wu, Zhenxing Wang, Yacong He","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122523","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122523"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149224170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ginsenoside Compound K Inhibits Complement C1qA/C3-CR3-Mediated Microglial Synaptic Pruning and Neuronal Pyroptosis.","authors":"Xiaohui Zhao, Jian Liu, Shuting Wang, Nan Chen, Jiaxin Zhao, Yuhan Zhang, Jing Li, Hui Li, Na Li, Qing Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122537","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), a classic traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used for \"calming the mind and enhancing intelligence\" to combat cognitive decline. Its major metabolite, ginsenoside compound K (CK), exerts neuroprotection, but the molecular mechanisms against Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which CK attenuates microglial aberrant synaptic phagocytosis and neuronal pyroptosis via inhibiting the complement C1qA cascade.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>APP/PS1 mice were used as AD models and treated with CK (20 or 40 mg/kg/d) or memantine (MH, 3 mg/kg/d) by gavage once daily for 14 weeks. Morris water maze and open field tests were used to assess cognitive function and anxiety-like behavior, respectively. HE, Nissl and Golgi staining detected neuronal damage and synaptic integrity. Immunofluorescence and ELISA measured microglial polarization, activation and synaptic phagocytosis. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations analyzed the CK-C1qA interaction. Western blot, immunofluorescence and ELISA detected complement components (C1qA, C3, CR3) and pyroptosis-related proteins (NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, GSDMD-N, IL-18). In vitro cellular experiments, including BV2 cell monoculture and BV2-HT22 transwell co-culture systems, were further performed to validate the causal role of C1qA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CK improved cognitive and anxiety behaviors in APP/PS1 mice, attenuated hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl-positive neurons, restored dendritic complexity and spine density, and upregulated PSD95 and SYP. CK induced microglial M1-like-to-M2-like polarization and reduced Iba1⁺/CD68⁺ microglia colocalization with PSD95⁺ synapses, indicating suppressed synaptic engulfment. CK was predicted to bind to the C1qA globular head domain, reduced C1qA deposition at synapses, inhibited C3, and CR3 expression, suppressed NF-κB phosphorylation, downregulated NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase-1, and GSDMD-N, decreased IL-18 release, and alleviated neuronal pyroptosis. In vitro, CK suppressed C1qA expression in BV2 cells and reduced synaptic C1qA deposition in HT22 cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CK ameliorated cognitive and synaptic deficits in APP/PS1 mice by inhibiting the C1qA/C3-CR3 pathway to suppress aberrant microglial synaptic phagocytosis and blocking NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD-mediated neuronal pyroptosis. These findings elucidate CK's neuroprotective mechanisms and provide scientific evidence for ginseng's traditional cognitive benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122537"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149220344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traditional licorice-milk processing of Alangium chinense (Lour.) Harms reduces hepatotoxicity and enhances bioactivity via EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway modulation.","authors":"Xinyue Wang, Dan Nie, Tingting Feng, Xiongwei Liu, Yizhen Liu, Jingyi Sun, Ying Zhou, Hongxi Xu, Chang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122532","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Alangium chinense (Lour.) Harms (AC) is a traditional Miao medicinal plant widely used to treat rheumatic and inflammatory disorders. Despite its therapeutic benefits, AC exhibits hepatotoxicity, limiting its safe clinical application. Traditional processing with licorice and milk has been historically employed to reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy, yet its chemical basis and underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This study aimed to elucidate how licorice-milk processing alters the chemical composition of AC, identify key blood-absorbed constituents, and clarify the mechanisms underlying detoxification and efficacy enhancement.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>AC was processed using an optimized licorice-milk decoction via a multi-index orthogonal design. Toxicological and pharmacological effects of raw (RAC) and processed AC (PAC) were evaluated in rats through serum biochemistry, histopathology, and xylene-induced ear edema assays. UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and serum pharmacochemistry identified chemical and blood-absorbed constituents. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and Western blotting were employed to analyze hepatotoxicity-related targets and validate the involvement of signaling pathways.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Processing significantly altered the chemical profile of AC, reducing total toxic alkaloids by 27.1% while increasing flavonoids and phenols by 14.8% and 50.2%, respectively. PAC significantly decreased rat serum AST, ALT, and ALP levels, mitigated hepatic tissue injury, and inhibited xylene-induced ear edema. Metabolomic analysis identified 56 differential compounds, with 16 unique to PAC. Serum pharmacochemistry revealed 175 blood-absorbed components, 27 of which were differentially associated with hepatotoxicity, including 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, enoxolone, and anabasine. Network pharmacology highlighted the EGFR/PI3K/AKT cascade as a core network. Molecular docking and 100-ns MD simulations demonstrated that representative compounds formed thermodynamically stable complexes within the active site of the downstream kinase AKT1 (backbone RMSD ≈ 0.238 - 0.246 nm). Tissue-level Western blotting demonstrated that PAC modulated the aberrant expression of EGFR, p-PI3K/PI3K, and p-AKT/AKT induced by RAC, suggesting the potential involvement of this axis in mitigating hepatotoxicity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Licorice-milk processing of AC mitigates hepatotoxicity while preserving anti-inflammatory efficacy by modulating toxic alkaloids and protective metabolites. The attenuation of liver toxicity is closely associated with the systemic regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings provide dynamic biophysical insights into traditional processing and support the safe clinical application of AC.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122532"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the pharmacological mechanism of Sanfu Patch for prevention and treatment of asthma from chronopharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics based on \"winter disease cured in summer\".","authors":"Rui Dang, Junjie Zhu, Mireyi Bahatijiang, Junyi Wang, Zunlin Wang, Guangdong Wang, Huida Guan, Changhong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>The Sanfu Patch (SFP) is applied to back acupoints on the hottest days in summer to treat asthma, a winter-prone disease, and has been used in China for thousands of years. However, chrono- and temperature-related properties of treating asthma and the transdermal properties of active components are not fully clarified.</p><p><strong>Aim of study: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the anti-asthmatic chronopharmacodynamics and transdermal pharmacokinetics of SFP based on the theory of \"winter disease cured in summer\".</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Chrono- and temperature-dependent Balb/c mouse models of OVA-induced asthma were established. The lung histopathology, pulmonary function testing, ELISA assays and Western blotting experiments were used for evaluating anti-asthma effect of transdermal SFP. The anti-inflammatory effects of six bioactive compounds were evaluated in vitro using BEAS-2B cells. The CETSA and SPR technique were employed to investigate whether the active components of SFP bind to anti-asthmatic proteins. The transdermal properties of active ingredients were analyzed by in vivo microdialysis assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Applying SFP on the back in summer can prevent the occurrence of asthma over a relatively long period of time. The preventive effect against asthma diminished progressively at one, three and five months after administration of SFP. Compared with SFP administration in low-temperature (17°C) environment, SFP transdermal administration in high-temperature (33°C) environment was demonstrated a more significant therapeutic effect in alleviating asthma symptoms, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. High-temperature administration of SFP further reduced the expression of CD40, CD40L, and CLN5 in asthmatic mice. Tetrahydropalmatine, allocryptopine, protopine, tetrahydrocoptisine, dehydrocorydaline, and sinapine thiocyanate were screened as key components contributing to the therapeutic effects of SFP against asthma, exhibiting in vitro anti-inflammatory effects. CETSA results showed that the thermal stability of CD40, CD40L and CLN5 was significantly enhanced after the treatment of the above six components. The direct SPR binding confirmed that protopine and sinapine thiocyanate could bind to the three target proteins. The AUC_(0-t) and C_max values of all six components were higher at 33°C than those at 17°C after transdermal administration of SFP.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study has demonstrated the temperature advantages of the SFP application method for relieving asthma from chronopharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic perspectives, providing a foundation for subsequent research and therapeutic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122540"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wenyang Xiaozheng Decoction attenuates renal fibrosis and suppresses pyroptosis-associated signaling: insights from integrated transcriptomics and serum pharmacochemistry.","authors":"You Wu, Yixiao Han, Jiahui Wang, Lijing Du, Younes Zaid, Zhengchun Wang, Xiaomeng Lin, Xudong Cai, Xin Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122533","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Wenyang Xiaozheng Decoction (WXD) is traditionally prescribed for chronic kidney disease based on the principle of warming yang and resolving blood stasis. However, whether its anti-fibrotic effects involve inflammation-associated pyroptosis remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>To evaluate the effects of WXD on renal fibrosis and associated changes in NF-κB- and pyroptosis-related signaling.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were allocated to six groups and subjected to sham surgery or unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) with or without valsartan or graded doses of WXD. The effects of WXD were further evaluated in TGF-β1/TNF-α-stimulated HK-2 cells. Kidney transcriptomics was integrated with serum pharmacochemistry-based network pharmacology restricted to blood-absorbed constituents. Pharmacological perturbations using necrosulfonamide (NSA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were performed in HK-2 cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>High-dose WXD reduced serum BUN, renal fibrotic area, and GSDMD-N expression by 24.7%, 27.6%, and 29.1%, respectively, compared with UUO mice (all P < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis showed that WXD reversed UUO-induced activation of NF-κB, TNF, and NOD-like receptor signaling. Integration with serum pharmacochemistry identified 36 blood-absorbed constituents and yielded inflammation-related target and pathway profiles consistent with the transcriptomic findings. WXD reduced the abundance of phosphorylated p65, cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD-N in vivo and in vitro. NSA partially reproduced, whereas LPS partially counteracted, the protective effects of WXD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>WXD attenuates renal fibrosis in association with reduced NF-κB- and pyroptosis-associated signaling. Integrating transcriptomics with network pharmacology based on blood-absorbed constituents provides a biologically relevant strategy for investigating multi-component traditional Chinese medicine formulas.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122533"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Total Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng Improve Exercise Tolerance in Rats with Spleen Qi Deficiency-like Features: Integrated Metabolomics of Serum and Hepatic Mitochondria-enriched Fractions.","authors":"Hui Li, Wantong Zhao, Xiaotong Fu, Meng Ge, Jielin Wang, Wei Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122521","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. has traditionally been used to replenish Qi and strengthen the spleen, including for poor appetite and weakness associated with spleen deficiency. Ginsenosides are major constituents, but their metabolic effects under spleen Qi deficiency-like conditions remain to be clarified.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>To evaluate whether total ginsenosides (TGS) improve spleen Qi deficiency-like features in rats and characterize systemic and hepatic metabolic changes.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A rat model was established using 50% food restriction combined with repeated weight-loaded swimming, and TGS (75, 150, or 300 mg·kg^-1) was administered for 21 days. Body weight, grip strength, swimming endurance, biochemical indices, and mitochondrial ultrastructure were evaluated. Untargeted metabolomic analyses of serum and hepatic mitochondria-enriched fractions were performed in the control (CON), model (MOD), and high-dose TGS (TGS-H) groups, and hepatic SIRT1 and PGC-1α protein expression was measured. Lipid accumulation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and SIRT1 and PGC-1α expression were also examined in oleic acid-treated HepG2 cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>TGS, particularly at 300 mg·kg^-1, attenuated the suppression of body-weight gain and improved grip strength and swimming endurance. These functional improvements were accompanied by increased ATP content and ATPase activities and attenuation of mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities. After TGS-H treatment, serum levels of several amino acids increased, and lipid profiles shifted toward the control pattern. In hepatic mitochondria-enriched fractions, accumulation of selected fatty acids decreased, and levels of selected organic acids increased. TGS increased hepatic PGC-1α protein expression at all three doses, whereas SIRT1 expression increased significantly only at the high dose. In oleic acid-treated HepG2 cells, increased expression of both proteins was accompanied by reduced lipid accumulation and partial recovery of mitochondrial membrane potential.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In rats with spleen Qi deficiency-like features induced by limited nutritional supply and repeated physical exertion, TGS attenuated the suppression of body-weight gain and improved exercise tolerance, accompanied by changes in energy-related indices. These findings provide experimental support for the traditional use of ginseng to replenish Qi and strengthen the spleen in relation to symptoms of weakness.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122521"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aquilaria leaves (Thymelaeaceae): A comprehensive review of ethnobotany, traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity and quality evaluation.","authors":"Yuanyuan Yu, Almaz Borjigidai, Yuxia Zhang, Miao Yu, Huiqin Chen, Shengzhuo Huang, Tian Liang, Zesheng Li, Honglei Jin, Yijun Chen, Wenli Mei, Haofu Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122510","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Aquilaria species are well known for agarwood, while their leaves are also used in regional folk medicine and consumed as herbal teas in southern China and Southeast Asia, mainly for inflammatory conditions, infections, and stress-related symptoms.</p><p><strong>Aims of the review: </strong>This review summarizes the ethnobotany, taxonomy, traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality evaluation of Aquilaria leaves, and identifies gaps that warrant further investigation.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Relevant literature was collected from Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed, CNKI, and Wan Fang Data, including journal articles, books, and dissertations. Flora of China and Plants of the World Online were consulted to verify species distribution and accepted botanical names. Chemical structures were drawn using ChemDraw 22.0.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 185 compounds have been recorded from Aquilaria leaves. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies mainly involve three species, A. sinensis, A. crassna, and A. malaccensis. The major compound classes include flavonoids, terpenoids, benzophenones, organic acids, xanthones, and 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, with flavonoids (39) and terpenoids (43) predominating. Pharmacological studies have largely focused on crude extracts, with relatively few investigations of isolated compounds, and have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic, laxative, and neuroprotective activities. Available toxicological studies generally indicate low acute toxicity within the tested dose ranges, although evidence on long-term safety remains limited. Quality evaluation has mainly relied on chromatographic profiling and multi-component determination, while standardized quality criteria remain to be established.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This review highlights Aquilaria leaves as a renewable and underexplored medicinal resource by integrating evidence from traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, and quality evaluation. However, current evidence is still limited by crude-extract-based studies, insufficient active-constituent characterization, and limited long-term safety and clinical data. Further research is needed to identify the active constituents, elucidate their underlying mechanisms, and establish standardized quality control and safety evaluation systems for the safe and effective use of Aquilaria leaves.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122510"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zuogui Wan preserves Leydig cell steroidogenesis via G6PD/NADPH/GSH-dependent ferroptosis inhibition in D-galactose-induced hypogonadism.","authors":"Ruonan Li, Shenghan Xu, Yuhao Liu, Shuo Sun, Han Wu, Zhitao Wei, Yong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jep.2026.122507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.122507","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Ethnopharmacological relevance: </strong>Zuogui Wan (ZGW), a classical formula for aging-related disorders, may delay reproductive decline, but its effects on late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of ZGW in LOH using rat and cellular models by integrating serum pharmacochemistry, network pharmacology, and transcriptomic analyses.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A D-galactose-induced accelerated aging rat model was established to evaluate the ameliorative effects of ZGW. Blood-absorbed constituents were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS, and candidate pathways and targets were screened by integrating network pharmacology, testicular transcriptomics, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. Mechanistic validation was performed in rat testicular tissues and TM3 Leydig cells, and the functional role of G6PD was further evaluated using G6PDi-1-mediated pharmacological inhibition and G6pdx knockdown/overexpression rescue experiments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ZGW ameliorated D-galactose-induced reproductive endocrine dysfunction and testicular aging-related injury in rats and attenuated injury in TM3 Leydig cells. Based on the identification of 36 blood-absorbed constituents, integrated analyses prioritized G6PD and suggested that it may be involved in redox regulation and ferroptosis-related mechanisms. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that ZGW restored G6PD-related NADPH/GSH redox homeostasis, strengthened GPX4-dependent defense against lipid peroxidation, attenuated ferroptosis-related injury, and preserved mitochondrial function and StAR/CYP11A1-associated steroidogenesis. Both G6PDi-1 and G6pdx knockdown partially attenuated the effects of ZGW, whereas G6pdx rescue partially restored these changes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ZGW may alleviate D-gal-induced LOH-like dysfunction by restoring G6PD-related NADPH/GSH homeostasis and GPX4-dependent lipid-peroxide defense. These effects may limit ferroptosis-related injury and preserve the mitochondrial conditions required for StAR/CYP11A1-associated steroidogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":15761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of ethnopharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"122507"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}