Baicalin alleviates TNBS‑induced colitis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway activation

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic immunological disorders of the intestinal tract characterized by persistent inflammation. Baicalin, a type of flavonoid, has exhibited a wide range of pharmacological activities, including immunomodulation and anti-inflammation. However, little is known about the therapeutic role of baicalin in IBD. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether baicalin could be a therapeutic drug of IBD and investigate its specific mechanisms. In the present study, the results revealed that baicalin not only significantly alleviated TNBS-induced colitis by reducing the release of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β and increasing the level of IL-10, but promoted the expression of tight-junction proteins ZO-1 and β-catenin, which may have been achieved by blockage of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In vitro, the results demonstrated that baicalin clearly inhibited the release of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β and promoted the expression of IL-10 in LPS-induced HT-29 cells, and significantly decreased LPS-induced HT-29 cell apoptosis by blockage of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present research revealed for the first time that baicalin acted as a therapeutic drug in IBD by suppression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Study of Baicalin toward COVID-19 Treatment: In silico Target Analysis and in vitro Inhibitory Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Proteases

“…The produced cytokines can be released and cause further cycles of cytokine amplification that is harmful in acute inflammation condition, such as in COVID-19. According to previous reports, baicalin regulates the PI3K/AKT signal [24] and NF-κB [23,43], and these activities may be responsible for baicalin-induced anti-inflammatory effect [16,23,43]. Our analysis and the supportive data from the literature suggested that baicalin may protect the cell from pro-inflammatory factors, such as cytokine and chemokine, through disrupting several inflammation-associated signaling pathways inside the cell.…”

“…Recently, SB and several herbal formulas comprising SB were suggested as potential therapeutics to treat COVID-19 with supportive data provided from in silico approaches or system pharmacological studies [7,[19][20][21][22]. Baicalin is known to be responsible for the major biological effects of SB and exhibits anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects with low cytotoxicity [23][24][25]. Baicalin is the main composition of Flavocoxid, an approved medical food, which is classified as generally recognized as safe by regulatory requirement.…”

Baicalin Magnesium Salt Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Inhibiting of TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

“…BA is the main active ingredient of Scutellaria, and its content is generally 9%-20%. There is abundant evidence suggesting that BA exerts clear anti-inflammatory effects on a variety of inflammation models and has protective and therapeutic effects on ALI [ 24 , 25 ]. However, BA has poor aqueous solubility, which sharply decreases its bioavailability.…”

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products: Potential Approaches for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…Baicalin is an active ingredient extracted from the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi ( Wang et al, 2022 ). Baicalin significantly increased the activity of CAT, SOD, and GSH in colonic tissue of UC by blocking NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, reducing the release of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, increasing the level of IL-10, inhibiting TNBS-induced increase in ROS and MDA levels, control inflammatory responses and reduce oxidative stress damage ( Shen et al, 2019 ; Zhu et al, 2020a ). Baicalin effectively inhibits the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), regulates macrophage function, promotes the proliferation of CD4 + CD29 + cells, and regulates Th17/Treg balance.…”