ferroptosis
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death triggered by the failure of antioxidant defenses, leading to the accumulation of lipid peroxides. This mechanism is relevant to plant science as a distinct cell death pathway that likely influences plant stress responses, iron homeostasis, and developmental processes that extend beyond apoptosis and other well-characterized forms of programmed cell death.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-03-25
A traditional Chinese medicine made from forsythia fruits reduces inflammation by preventing a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis through the activation of a protective protein (GPX4). This research validates the plant's anti-inflammatory properties using modern molecular techniques and identifies wogonin as its active ingredient, potentially leading to new treatments for inflammation-related diseases.
Forsythiae Fructus water extract (LQKL) reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α while suppressing MDA content and ROS production in both cell and zebrafish models
GPX4 knockdown substantially diminished LQKL's anti-inflammatory effects, establishing GPX4 activation as essential to the protective mechanism
Wogonin was identified as the key bioactive component in LQKL that directly binds GPX4 and mediates the anti-inflammatory response
