ArticleChinese medicine2026
Ethanol extract of Astragali Radix inhibits M1 macrophage polarization to alleviate ulcerative colitis by promoting Lactobacillus reuteri-produced indole-3-carboxaldehyde and formononetin.
Article in Chinese medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Formononetin ameliorates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice via targeting USP5.Journal of thoracic disease · 2026Article
- Isorhamnetin ameliorates active ulcerative colitis potentially involving the Nrf2-PTGS2 axis: an integrative study from clinical evidence mining to in vivo validation.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
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14 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundAstragali Radix (AR) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the effectiveness of its ethanol extract in relieving UC and its mechanisms involved are not well comprehended. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of AR ethanol extract on UC and explore the underlying mechanisms, focusing on its regulation of the intestinal microecology.
methodsA UC model in mice was induced with 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium and then treated with AR ethanol extract, L. reuteri, or microbial metabolites indole-3-carboxaldehyde (IAId) and formononetin (FMN). Changes in tissue damage and inflammation were evaluated. Adjustments in gut microbiota were identified using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Changes in the fecal metabonomics were analyzed. Levels of polarized M1 macrophages in colon tissues was detected using immunofluorescence staining. The mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines in RAW264.7 cells was quantified by RT-PCR. The binding affinity between FMN and PGK1 (IAId and AHR) was assessed using surface plasmon resonance analysis.
resultsAR ethanol extract relieved mucosal injury and decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the colon. AR extract modulated the structure and composition of intestinal flora, specifically, it significantly increased the L. reuteri level, which facilitated the production of IAId and FMN. Moreover, Ononin was the key ingredient from AR to induce the L. reuteri growth. IAId and FMN could relieve UC symptoms, thereby improving the overall efficacy of AR extract on UC. Furthermore, IAId and FMN could inhibit M1 macrophages polarization, resulting in a reduction in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels. IAId inhibited M1 macrophages polarization by AHR/NF-κB pathway, and FMN suppressed M1 macrophages via PGK1/NLRP3/NF-κB pathway, which exerts the synergistic effect on inflammatory responses.
conclusionAR ethanol extract can alleviate UC by inhibiting M1 macrophages activities via promoting L. reuteri-produced IAId and FMN.
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