Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access
ISSN: 2157-7013
ISSN: 2157-7013
Yung-Kai Lin, Jian-Xin Wang, Yung-Hsiang Lin, Shu-Ting Chan, Yi-Wen Mao and Chi-Fu Chiang*
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive condition characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, fluid imbalance, and mitochondrial dysfunction. While traditional medicine has long employed kidney-tonifying botanicals, their cellular mechanisms remain underexplored. This study evaluated a multi-herb botanical hydrosol formulation containing Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. and fermented extracts of Polygonatum kingianum, Euryale ferox, and Lycium chinense. Using renal epithelial cell models, we assessed its effects on inflammation, fibrosis, aquaporin regulation and mitochondrial gene activation. The hydrosol significantly inhibited Nitric Oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In IL-1β-treated HEK293 cells, it induced a time-dependent immunoregulatory response-enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) at 6 hours, while suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-12A, IFN-γ) at 24 hours. In TGF-β1-induced fibrotic models, it reduced extracellular matrix accumulation and preserved epithelial morphology. Although Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) expression showed a non-significant increase, a positive regulatory trend was observed. Notably, the formulation upregulated mitochondrial and proteostasis-related genes, including a >4-fold increase in Parkin and significant elevations in Ubl5, NADSYN1, Atg8, and chaperonin subunits CCT2, CCT6A, and CCT8. These findings suggest that the formulation exerts anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and mitochondrial-activating effects. Overall, this work provides mechanistic support for the potential application of hydrosol-based functional foods in promoting renal health and healthy aging.
Published Date: 2025-10-06; Received Date: 2025-09-05