Chia-Hsin Lin

Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is a key environmental contributor to skin photoaging, primarily by inducing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, and downregulation of tight junction (TJ) proteins. Cedrol, the major component of the essential oil from Cunninghamia lanceolata var. konishii, a tree species endemic to Taiwan, exhibits antioxidant properties. However, its restorative effects against UVB-induced skin damage have not been fully elucidated. In this study, HaCaT keratinocytes were used to evaluate the post-treatment effects of cedrol on UVB-induced damage to skin cells. HaCaT cells were exposed to UVB irradiation followed by cedrol treatment. Cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP levels, mitochondrial biogenesis-related proteins (SIRT1, PGC-1α, Nrf2, TFAM), and TJ proteins (ZO-1, occludin, claudin-3) were assessed. Additionally, ¹H-NMR-based metabolomics was conducted to evaluate UVB-induced metabolic changes. Cedrol significantly improved cell viability post-UVB exposure, decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and restored mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels. It also upregulated mitochondrial biogenesis-related proteins (SIRT1, PGC-1α, Nrf2, and TFAM) and maintained TJ protein expression (ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-3), thereby preserving epithelial barrier integrity. Furthermore, ¹H-NMR-based metabolomics revealed that cedrol mitigated UVB-induced metabolic disturbances, particularly in amino acid and energy pathways. Cedrol alleviates UVB-induced cellular damage by modulating mitochondrial function and metabolic homeostasis, indicating its potential as a natural agent for promoting skin recovery after UV exposure.

Mitochondrial dysfunction may precipitate intestinal dysfunction, while inflammatory bowel disease manifests as a chronic inflammatory ailment affecting the gastrointestinal tract. This condition disrupts the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium and alters metabolic products. Increasing mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis in intestinal epithelial cells presents a promising avenue for colitis treatments. Nevertheless, the impact of cedrol on ATP and the intestinal barrier remains unexplored. Hence, this study is dedicated to examining the cedrol's protective effect on an inflammatory cocktail (IC)–induced intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in Caco‐2 cells. The finding reveals that cedrol enhances ATP content and the transepithelial electrical resistance value in the intestinal epithelial barrier. Moreover, cedrol mitigates the IC‐induced decrease in the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of tight junction proteins (ZO‐1, Occludin, and Claudin‐1), thereby ameliorating intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction. Furthermore, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)–based metabolomic analysis indicated that IC‐exposed Caco‐2 cells are restored by cedrol treatments. Notably, cedrol elevates metabolites such as amino acids, thereby enhancing the intestinal barrier. In conclusion, cedrol alleviates IC‐induced intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction by promoting ATP‐dependent proliferation of Caco‐2 cells and bolstering amino acid levels to sustain tight junction messenger ribonucleic acid expression.

This study investigates the composition characteristics and anti-inflammatory activity mechanisms of the essential oil from the leaves of Crossostephium chinense. C. chinense is a perennial herb commonly found in East Asia, traditionally used to treat various ailments. The essential oil extracted through water distillation, primarily contains 1,8-cineole (13.73%), santolina triene (13.53%), and germacrene D (10.67%). Three compounds were identified from the essential oil, namely 1-acetoxy-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylhex-3,5-diene, 1-acetoxy-isopyliden-hex-5-en-4-one, and chrysanthemyl acetate, with the first two being newly discovered compounds. Then, the essential oil of C. chinense exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophages, effectively inhibiting the production of NO and ROS, with the IC50 value of 10.3 μg/mL. Furthermore, the essential oil reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Mechanistic studies indicate that the essential oil affects the inflammatory response by inhibiting the expression of iNOS but has no significant impact on COX-2. Further analysis suggests that the essential oil may regulate the inflammatory response through the ERK protein in the MAPK pathway and IκBα in the NF-κB pathway, while also promoting the activity of the NRF2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway, enhancing the cell’s antioxidant capacity, thereby achieving an effect of inhibiting the inflammatory response. These results highlight the potential application value of C. chinense leaf essential oil in the medical and healthcare fields.

Portulaca oleracea (PO) is a commonly known medicinal crop that is an important ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its use as a vegetable in the diet. PO has been recorded to be frequently adulterated by other related species in the market of herbal plants, distorting the PO plant identity. Thus, identification of the botanical origin of PO is a crucial step before pharmaceutical or functional food application. In this research, a quick assay named “loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)” was built for the specific and sensitive authentication of PO DNA. On the basis of the divergences in the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence between PO and its adulterant species, the LAMP primers were designed and verified their specificity, sensitivity, and application for the PO DNA authentication. The detection limit of the LAMP assay for PO DNA identification specifically was 100 fg under isothermal conditions at 63 °C for 30 min. In addition, different heat-processed PO samples can be applied for use in PO authentication in the LAMP assay. These samples of PO were more susceptible to the effect of steaming in authentication by PCR than boiling and drying treatment. Furthermore, commercial PO samples pursued from herbal markets were used to display their applicability of the developed LAMP analysis for PO postharvest authentication, and the investigation found that approximately 68.4% of PO specimens in the marketplace of herbal remedies were adulterated. In summary, the specific, sensitive, and rapid LAMP assay for PO authentication was first successfully developed herein, and its practical application for the inspection of adulteration in PO samples from the herbal market was shown. This LAMP assay created in this study will be useful to authenticate the botanical origin of PO and its commercial products.