Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 196-209 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 200 Figure 2 Effects of TA supplementation on AMPK and NFκB signaling pathways in the lungs of CS-exposed induced-COPD mice. Expression of (A) AMPK and p-AMPK, (B) Nrf2, (C) iNOS, and (D) NFκB and p-NFκB in lung tissues from each group were measured by Western blot. *p<0.05, ***p < 0.001 (Adopted from Jian et al., 2020b) Image caption: The figure demonstrates the effects of triterpene acids (TA) on the AMPK/Nrf2 and NFκB/iNOS signaling pathways in the lung tissues of mice with cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The figure shows that the phosphorylation level of AMPK and the expression of Nrf2 in the lung tissues of the COPD model group significantly decreased, while the phosphorylation of NFκB and the expression of iNOS significantly increased. After TA treatment, the phosphorylation of AMPK and the expression of Nrf2 were significantly restored, while the phosphorylation of NFκB and the expression of iNOS were significantly reduced. The results indicate that TA inhibits inflammation and oxidative stress by modulating these key signaling pathways, revealing its potential mechanism in COPD treatment (Adapted from Jian et al., 2020b) 4 Health Benefits and Therapeutic Applications 4.1 Cardiovascular health Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) contains several bioactive compounds that contribute to cardiovascular health. These include flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acids, which are known for their antioxidant properties (de Almeida Lopes et al., 2018; Silva et al., 2020; Dhiman et al., 2021). The presence of these compounds helps in reducing oxidative stress, which is a significant factor in cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that the antioxidant properties of loquat can help in reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, a key process in the development of atherosclerosis (Silva et al., 2020; Dhiman et al., 2021). Additionally, the anti-inflammatory properties of loquat compounds such as kaempferol and quercetin contribute
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==