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Wolfberry, esteemed as a traditional Chinese medicinal material and functional food, is replete with nutrients and boasts a diverse array of health benefits, including hypoglycemic, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties. Notably, inflammation is a pivotal factor in the onset and progression of numerous diseases. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on the comprehensive evaluation of the components found in different wolfberries, and the exploration of their primary active components is limited. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive targeted metabolomics analysis, employing statistical methods such as principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), KEGG pathway analysis, and volcano plots to delineate the compositional differences among red, black, and yellow wolfberries. Furthermore, we investigated the antiinflammatory effects of their primary components through in vitro experiments. Our analysis revealed a total of 1,104 chemical compositions in the three wolfberries, with alkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and lipids being the predominant nutritional components. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these compositions were primarily involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, ABC transport, and galactose metabolism pathway. Moreover, our study demonstrated that quercetin exhibited dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated HUVECs. It effectively inhibited the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-1β, while also downregulating the gene and protein expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. In conclusion, our findings indicate that there are variations in compositions among the three wolfberries, with flavonoids being the most abundant, and in vitro studies also confirmed the anti-inflammatory potential of quercetin. It is worth noting that Lycium ruthenicum contains higher levels of antioxidant components and possesses greater nutritional value, providing valuable insights for the future development and utilization of the three wolfberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a prevalent disorder characterized by oxidative stress and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that disturb the colonic mucosa. Currently, the available medicines for UC remain unsatisfactory. Diacerein (DIAC) has exhibited anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in a wide range of inflammatory disorders. However, limited understanding of DIAC's role in bowel inflammation has necessitated the investigation of its efficacy in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC in Balb/c mice in this study. Fifty mice were equally divided into five groups. Except for the control, all groups were given DSS for seven days to induce the colitis model. The model was treated with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of DIAC and 100 mg/kg/day of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) for ten days. Several clinical, molecular and biochemical parameters were evaluated. Following exposure to DSS, there was a significant upregulation in the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-a) and oxidative stress index (MDA). Meanwhile, the concentration of antioxidative stress indices (SOD, GPx and CAT) and the levels of IL-10, mucin-1 and 2 and tight junction proteins (TJs) ZO-1 and occludin were markedly suppressed. The colon length and body weight were reduced while DAI and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were elevated. Conversely, DIAC 50 mg and 5-ASA significantly reversed the altered pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and MPO. Moreover, they significantly restored body weight, colon length, DAI, TJs, mucin-1 and 2, and IL-10. No significant results were found with DIAC 25 mg. In conclusion, DIAC exhibited therapeutic effectiveness against colitis. This research may provide hope for testing its effectiveness against UC in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolfberry, esteemed as a traditional Chinese medicinal material and functional food, is replete with nutrients and boasts a diverse array of health benefits, including hypoglycemic, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing properties. Notably, inflammation is a pivotal factor in the onset and progression of numerous diseases. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on the comprehensive evaluation of the components found in different wolfberries, and the exploration of their primary active components is limited. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive targeted metabolomics analysis, employing statistical methods such as principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), KEGG pathway analysis, and volcano plots to delineate the compositional differences among red, black, and yellow wolfberries. Furthermore, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of their primary components through in vitro experiments. Our analysis revealed a total of 1,104 chemical compositions in the three wolfberries, with alkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and lipids being the predominant nutritional components. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that these compositions were primarily involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, ABC transport, and galactose metabolism pathway. Moreover, our study demonstrated that quercetin exhibited dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated HUVECs. It effectively inhibited the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-1β, while also down-regulating the gene and protein expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. In conclusion, our findings indicate that there are variations in compositions among the three wolfberries, with flavonoids being the most abundant, and in vitro studies also confirmed the anti-inflammatory potential of quercetin. It is worth noting that Lycium ruthenicum contains higher levels of antioxidant components and possesses greater nutritional value, providing valuable insights for the future development and utilization of the three wolfberries., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lan, Duan, Qi, Almezgagi, Fan and Ma.)