Speaker
Description
Background: Epimedii Folium (EF) is a flavonoid-rich botanical resource with broad bioactivity and potential application as a plant-derived functional ingredient. However, its hepatic effects may depend on host physiological state and co-administered botanical components.
Methods: The present study investigated the hepatic responses to EF under normal and immune-stressed conditions and further evaluated how co-administration of Psoraleae Fructus (PF) or Rhizoma Drynariae (RD) modulates these responses. Hepatic biochemical and histopathological changes were assessed in a rat model of LPS-induced immune stress. Transcriptomic analysis, network pharmacology, qPCR, and western blotting were further performed to characterize the underlying molecular alterations.
Results: In normal rats, EF did not induce overt hepatic dysfunction. In contrast, under LPS-induced immune stress, EF markedly disrupted hepatic homeostasis, as reflected by increased serum ALT, AST, TBA, and ALP levels, elevated inflammatory cytokines, increased liver coefficients, and aggravated histopathological alterations. Transcriptomic analysis showed that EF under immune stress was associated with enrichment of both bile acid metabolism-related pathways and inflammatory signaling pathways. PF further aggravated EF-associated hepatic disturbance, mainly by strengthening immune-inflammatory activation, whereas RD partially attenuated the biochemical abnormalities and showed a limited buffering effect on hepatic metabolic disturbance. Network pharmacology provided supportive pathway-level evidence consistent with the experimental and transcriptomic findings. qPCR and western blot analyses further validated the inflammatory and bile acid-related molecular changes.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that the hepatic effects of EF-derived bioactive constituents are strongly context dependent and are differentially shaped by botanical co-administration. This study provides a food function-oriented perspective on the safety evaluation of flavonoid-rich botanical resources and may support the safer formulation and utilization of EF-containing botanical products.