Aqueous Extract of Xanthium strumarium L. and Its Active Fractions Ameliorate Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Skin Inflammation Through IL-17-Associated and AMPK-mTOR-Related Pathway Changes
Xanthium strumarium L. has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and has shown anti-inflammatory potential in modern pharmacological studies. However, whether its aqueous extract can ameliorate psoriasis-like skin inflammation, and which fractions contribute to this activity, remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether the aqueous extract of Xanthium strumarium L. ameliorates imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation, to identify the major active fractions through activity-guided fractionation, and to characterize their associated chemical profiles and molecular pathway features.Overall design: An imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model was used to assess the effects of X. strumarium aqueous extract and its fractions. The aqueous extract was separated by LH-20 gel column chromatography into five fractions, designated XA1-XA5. Zebrafish survival and tail amputation-induced neutrophil recruitment assays were used for safety assessment and activity-guided screening. The active fractions were further evaluated in IMQ-treated mice using PASI-like scoring, histological analysis, Ki67 staining, immune cell infiltration analysis, cytokine detection, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and western blotting.