Ethyl acetate fraction from Dendrobium officinale inhibits IL-17A signaling pathway to mitigate acute lung injury.
Zhu W, Chen R, Wu L, Shui Y, Liu L
Medicinal Plants
PubMedIt suggests a common ornamental orchid used in herbal teas and supplements may contain compounds that could one day inform treatments for dangerous lung conditions like those seen in severe respiratory infections.
Scientists took an extract from a type of orchid called Dendrobium officinale — prized in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries — and tested it on mice and cells with lung damage similar to what you'd see in a severe respiratory infection. The extract calmed down the immune system's overreaction, reduced tissue damage, and worked by turning down a specific 'alarm signal' in the body called IL-17A. This is exciting because it gives us a clearer picture of *how* this plant does what traditional healers have long claimed it does.
Key Findings
DOEA extract reduced lung inflammation and tissue damage in LPS-induced acute lung injury mouse models, as confirmed by histology and lung index measurements.
The extract suppressed activation of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway and reduced oxidative stress in macrophage cells (RAW264.7).
Knocking down the IL-17A receptor (IL-17RA) in cells mimicked DOEA's protective effects, confirming IL-17A signaling as the primary target mechanism.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that an extract from Dendrobium officinale — a medicinal orchid used in traditional Chinese medicine — can reduce severe lung inflammation in lab models by blocking a key inflammatory signaling pathway called IL-17A.
Abstract Preview
Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale), a rare and precious orchid (Orchidaceae) in traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits a sweet flavor and a cold nature, and acts on lung, stomach,...
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Dendrobium is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae. It is a very large genus, containing more than 1,800 species that are found in diverse habitats throughout much of south, east and southeast Asia, including China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Indonesia...