Medicinal Plant Research 2024, Vol.14, No.5, 245-258 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 250 5 Case Studies 5.1 Therapeutic use in hypertension E. ulmoides has shown significant potential in the treatment of hypertension. A study demonstrated that E. ulmoides bark extract can reduce blood pressure and inflammation by regulating the gut microbiota. Specifically, the extract was found to enrich the Parabacteroides strain, which has anti-hypertensive effects by reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines such as renal IL-17A (Yan et al., 2022). Another study highlighted the use of E. ulmoides in combination with Tribulus terrestris, showing that this drug pair can regulate ferroptosis by mediating the neurovascular-related ligand-receptor interaction pathway, which is beneficial for treating hypertension and preventing ischemic stroke (Figure 5) (Zhang et al., 2022). These findings suggest that E. ulmoides can be an effective natural remedy for managing hypertension through multiple mechanisms, including gut microbiota modulation and neurovascular protection. Figure 5 Network analysis of the active compounds of EUO-TT L. mediating the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway regulating ferroptosis. Intersection analysis of drug-neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway (A); Intersection analysis of drug-ferroptosis pathway (B); PPI network of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway - ferroptosis pathway (C) (Adopted from Zhang et al., 2022) The study of Zhang et al. (2022) analysis illustrates how the active compounds of EUO-TT L. intersect with neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and ferroptosis pathways. The Venn diagrams highlight overlapping genes, particularly HMOX1 and TP53, which are central to both pathways. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network further connects the ferroptosis and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways, indicating a complex interaction between neuroactive signaling and cell death mechanisms. This suggests that targeting these interactions may provide a therapeutic approach for conditions related to neurodegeneration or oxidative stress-related diseases. 5.2 Treatment of arthritis Eucommia ulmoides has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent research has provided scientific backing for its efficacy. An experimental study using a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model found that a 70% ethanol extract of E. ulmoides significantly ameliorated arthritis symptoms (Figure 6). The extract reduced foot swelling, decreased the arthritis index, and improved pathological conditions in joint tissues. Mechanistically, the extract suppressed the proliferation of synoviocytes, reduced the number of Th17-positive cells, and downregulated serum IL-17 expression. It also increased anti-inflammatory effects by
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