Inflammation is a normal immune response; but if the body's regulation of inflammation is dysfunctional, then it will have an adverse effect on the body. Although use of modern drugs for inflammation has a relieving effect, it is still unsatisfactory. Moreover, the emergence of drug-resistant strains and even new kinds of microorganisms is causing significant morbidity and mortality. Recently, more attention has been focused on herbal medicine to treat various diseases because of the ability of the herbs to affect multiple target signaling pathways and their multiple mechanisms of action. Thus, a large number of studies have reported on the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of the traditional Chinese herbs. Literature survey was performed by conducting systematic electronic search in PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and in books. This review has listed 11 heat-clearing Chinese herbs (HCCHs) including Scutellaria baicalensis (黃芩 Huáng Qín), Coptis chinensis (黃連 Huáng Lián), Flos Lonicerae (金銀花 Jīn Yín Hūa), Forsythia suspensa (連翹 Lián Qiào), Isatidis Folium (大青葉 Dà Qīn Yè), Radix Isatidis (板藍根 Bǎn Lán Gēn), Viola yedoensis (紫花地丁 Zǐ Huā Dì Dīn), Pulsatilla Radix (白頭翁 Bái Tóu Wēn), Andrographis paniculata (穿心蓮 Chuān Xīn Lián), Houttuynia cordata (魚腥草 Yú Xīng Cǎo), and Patrinia Herba (敗醬草 Bài Jiàn Cǎo), which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and has described their effects through different mechanisms of action and multiple targets. Their ability to affect multiple target signaling pathways and their potential mechanisms of action contributing to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity may be related to their action of removing heat and counteracting toxicity. Further studies are needed on the collection of HCCHs to know the detailed mechanism of action of herbs in this group for the assessment of effective drug.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is one of the serious complications of diabetes. Zhimu-Huangbai herb-pair (ZB) is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine formulas for treating Xiaoke (known as diabetes) and its complications. However, the effect of ZB on reversal of muscle atrophy and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this research, we investigated the effect and possible mechanisms of ZB on skeletal muscle atrophy in diabetic mice. Animal model of diabetic muscle atrophy was developed by high fat diet (HFD) feeding plus streptozotocin (STZ) injection. After oral adminstration of ZB for 6 weeks, the effects of ZB on reversal of muscle atrophy and the underlying mechanisms were evaluated by biochemical, histological and western blot methods. The skeletal muscle weight, strength, and cross-sectional area of diabetic mice were significantly increased by ZB treatment. Biochemical results showed that ZB treatment reduced the serum glucose level, and elevated the serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin levels significantly compared with untreated diabetic group. The western blot results showed that ZB activated the mTOR signal pathway, shown as increased phosphorylations (p-) of Akt, mTOR, Raptor, S6K1 and reduced Foxo3 expression compared with the model group. ZB could reverse muscle atrophy in diabetic mice. This may be through activation of mTOR signaling pathway that promotes protein synthesis, and inactivation foxo3 protein that inhibits protein degradation. These findings suggested that ZB may be considered as a potential candidate drug in treatment of diabetic muscle atrophy.

Background: Level of fatigue is related to the metabolic energy available to tissues and cells, mainly through mitochondrial respiration, as well fatigue is the most common symptom of poorly functioning mitochondria. Hence, dysfunction of these organelles may be the cause of the fatigue seen in Chronic fatigue (CF). Placenta has been used for treatment of fatigue and various disease, moreover peptides has known protect mitochondrial viability, and alleviate fatigue. These properties of placenta and peptides may link with its effect on mitochondria; therefore, it is highly important to investigate the effectiveness of placenta peptide on fatigue and mitochondrial dysfunction.Methods: After administration of sheep placenta peptide (SPP) for 1 month, mice’s were forced to swim till exhaustion for 90 min to induce chronic fatigue. Electron microscopic examination of skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure, tissue Malondialdehyde (MDA), mitochondrial SOD and serum inflammatory cytokines level were investigated in order to determine the potential effect of SPP on mitochondria during CF. Rat skeletal muscle (L6 cell) were also treated with different concentration of SPP to determine the effect of SPP on cell viability using Thiazoyl blue tetrazolium assay.Results: Our finding revealed that forced swimming induced fatigue model can cause mitochondrial damage through Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated lipid peroxidation and Tumor Necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) elevation. Whereas SPP protected fatigue induced mitochondrial dysfunction through preventing ROS and TNF-α generation, by maintaining mitochondrial dynamic network and by increasing serum IL-6 level.Conclusion: SPP can protect damage in mitochondrial components which will allow proper functioning of mitochondria that will in turn inhibit progression of chronic fatigue. Therefore, SPP may represent a novel therapeutic advantage for preventing mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with chronic fatigue.