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The Aqueous Extract of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni Improves the Lactation-Promoting Effect in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells through the PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway

Authors :
Jiaxu Chen
Zhaoping Pan
Qili Li
Yanyang Wu
Xiaopeng Li
Xue Wang
Dandan Hao
Xiaoyu Peng
Lina Pan
Wei Li
Jiaqi Wang
Tao Li
Fuhua Fu
Source :
Foods, Vol 13, Iss 17, p 2813 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Insufficient milk supply is a widespread issue faced by women globally and associated with a higher risk of health problems in infants and mothers. Hemerocallis citrina Baron, commonly known as daylily, is a perennial edible plant often used in traditional Asian cuisine to promote lactation. However, the active compound(s) and mechanism of its lactation-promoting effect remain unclear. This study aimed to confirm the traditional use of daylily in promoting lactation and investigate its potential active components and underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that the aqueous extracts of H. citrina Baroni (HAE) significantly enhanced milk production, and the serum levels of lactation-related hormones, and promoted mammary gland development in lactating rats, as well as increased the levels of milk components in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) (p < 0.05). UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS analysis revealed that hexamethylquercetin (HQ) is the representative flavonoid component in HAE, accounting for 42.66% of the total flavonoids. An integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis suggested that HQ may be the potential active flavonoid in HAE that promotes lactation, possibly supporting lactation by binding to key target proteins such as STAT5A, PIK3CA, IGF1R, TP53, CCND1, BCL2, INS, AR, and DLD. Cell experiments further demonstrated that HQ could promote cell proliferation and the synthesis of milk proteins, lactose, and milk fat in BMECs. Transcriptomic analysis combined with a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that both HAE and HQ exert a lactation-promoting function mainly through regulating the expression of key genes in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
23048158
Volume :
13
Issue :
17
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Foods
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0e4d6b686ddf47ffbafe984311da427c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172813