Search Results (1,417)

Psychological stress activates the local hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-like axis in hair follicles, leading to cortisol overproduction and dysfunction of dermal papilla cells (DPCs). However, effective natural ingredients targeting this mechanism remain scarce. To investigate whether Camellia nitidissima flower extract (CNF) alleviates stress-induced DPC dysfunction by inhibiting 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1(11β-HSD1) and modulating the downstream signaling pathways. The phytochemical composition of CNF was characterized using HPLC-DAD. An in vitro stress-induced injury model was established in human DPCs using corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Cortisol levels as well as the secretion levels of hair growth factors were measured by ELISA. The expression of 11β-HSD1 was assessed via immunofluorescence. Oxidative stress was evaluated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (Annexin V-FITC/PI). Protein expression of the TGF-β2/Smad pathway and mitochondrial apoptosis-related proteins was detected by western blotting. Cell proliferation was assessed by Ki67 immunofluorescence and cell cycle analysis. The mRNA expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway components was quantified by Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Ten bioactive constituents, predominantly the polyphenolic compounds rutin and quercetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, were identified in CNF. Mechanistically, CNF disrupted the local “stress-cortisol” amplification loop by first reducing CRF-induced cortisol secretion and downregulating 11β-HSD1 expression in DPCs. This upstream intervention subsequently attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited CRF-induced apoptosis via suppression of the TGF-β2/Smad2/3 pathway, while concurrently restoring proliferative capacity through reactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis. These coordinated molecular events ultimately reinstated the secretion of key hair growth factors, including Alkaline phosphatase (AlP), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), Epidermal growth factor (EGF), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), thereby mitigating DPC dysfunction. Full article

To elucidate the metabolic mechanisms underlying black tea flavor formation driven by cultivar genotype and processing technology, two cultivars, the green-leaf “Ningzhou No. 2” and the yellow-leaf “Huangjinju”, were processed via the traditional Ningzhou Gongfu black tea manufacturing protocol. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS)-based widely targeted metabolomics was employed to compare the metabolites and main biochemical components in fresh leaves, combined with the sensory evaluation of processed black tea from Camellia sinensis cv. “Huangjinju” and “Ningzhou No. 2”. The results showed that a total of 2208 metabolites were detected, representing 25 classes, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, esters, amino acids and their derivatives, and alkaloids. The characteristic differential metabolites in the fresh leaves from the two cultivars were primarily flavonoids. After processing, “Huangjinju” exhibited a relatively higher content of terpenoids, whereas “Ningzhou No. 2” showed relatively higher levels of flavonoids and phenolic acids. “Huangjinju” excelled with the Ningzhou Gongfu method, emphasizing floral notes and a liquor color, a sweet and mellow taste, and spent leaves, yielding a richer sweet–floral profile with nutty undertones and a reddish liquor. Cultivar primarily influenced bitterness, while processing modulated floral, fruity, nutty, sweet, and off-flavors. Metabolic enrichment analysis revealed cultivar-specific differences in fatty acids, terpenoids, heterocycles, and flavonoids, aligning with sensory profiles. These findings provide a metabolic basis for optimizing Ningzhou Gongfu black tea processing and quality control. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis further identified that galactose metabolism was a key pathway underlying the metabolic differences between the black teas of the two cultivars. Metabolic differences between the two tea cultivars determined the quality and processing suitability of fresh leaves. During the processing of black tea, chlorophyll content is significantly reduced, and the higher the chlorophyll content in fresh tea leaves, the more capable they are of forming the quality characteristics of red tea soup and red leaves. Metabolic profiles undergo extensive transformation, and cultivar characteristics influence the efficiency and direction of these transformations. Yellow tea tree varieties can also be made into high-quality black tea. These findings provide new insights and supporting data for the precise utilization of the two tea cultivars and the quality control of black tea. Full article

Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoid pigments that contribute to leaf coloration, tea quality, and have potential health-promoting properties. Purple-leaf tea plants have attracted significant interest due to their high anthocyanin levels; however, cultivar-specific evidence linking light intensity with pigment accumulation, enzyme activity, and transcriptional regulation in purple-leaf tea remains limited. In this study, the purple-leaf tea cultivar ‘Ziyan’ was exposed to three light intensity treatments: low (LL, 100 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹), medium (ML, 200 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹), and high (HL, 400 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹). Increasing light intensity resulted in deeper purple coloration and significantly higher anthocyanin accumulation. The contents of delphinidin, cyanidin, pelargonidin, and total anthocyanins under HL increased by 124.2%, 63.4%, 57.2%, and 105.9%, respectively, compared to the control. Activities of major biosynthetic enzymes (CHS, CHI, F3H, F3′H, F3′5′H, DFR, ANS) were enhanced under ML and HL, whereas ANR activity decreased. Transcriptome sequencing identified 1349 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (404 up-regulated, 945 down-regulated) in the LL vs. HL comparison. Notably, TFBS motif enrichment analysis revealed that up-regulated DEGs were dominated by a single cohesive SPL/SBP regulatory module, while down-regulated DEGs partitioned into independent NAC, HSF, and EIL modules, suggesting a multi-layered transcriptional regulatory network governing light-responsive anthocyanin biosynthesis. Several transcription factors, including MYB44, MYB75, bHLH162, and WRKY40, were also identified as candidate regulators. These results indicate that increasing light intensity is associated with enhanced anthocyanin accumulation, accompanied by coordinated changes in phenotype, flavonoid metabolism, enzyme activities, and gene expression, providing evidence for a possible regulatory mechanism of light-responsive pigmentation in purple-leaf tea and a basis for cultivation optimization and molecular breeding. Full article

Camellia oleifera is an important woody oil crop species endemic to China. However, gene functional analysis and molecular breeding in oiltea are greatly constrained by the low efficiency of conventional Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems. In this study, a rapid and efficient Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation system was established using the elite cultivar ‘Xianglin 210’. A vector carrying the RUBY visual reporter gene was introduced into leaf and hypocotyl explants, and the transformation efficiencies of three Agrobacterium strains (GV3101, MSU440, and K599) were systematically evaluated. Key transformation parameters, including bacterial suspension density and vacuum infiltration duration, were further optimized. The results demonstrated that leaf explants exhibited significantly higher transformation efficiency than hypocotyl explants. Among the tested strains, K599 showed the highest hairy root induction efficiency. The optimal transformation conditions were obtained using a bacterial suspension at OD₆₀₀ = 0.8 combined with vacuum infiltration for 40 min. Under these conditions, the hairy root induction rate reached 69.00%, and the proportion of RUBY-positive hairy roots reached 58.00%. Notably, the entire transformation process was achieved without callus induction or plant regeneration, and stable transgenic hairy roots were obtained within 60 days. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a rapid and tissue culture-independent hairy root transformation protocol for C. oleifera. While further functional studies are needed, this platform provides a practical tool with strong potential for future candidate gene validation and functional genomics in oil tea crops. Full article

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) imparts distinctive health benefits and flavor to tea, and its accumulation is modulated by plant growth regulators (PGRs). However, the regulatory mechanisms of Paclobutrazol (PAC) and Lovastatin (LS) underlying EGCG biosynthesis remain uncharacterized. We integrated quantitative analysis, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to investigate the regulatory effects of exogenous PAC and LS on EGCG accumulation in tea plants and systematically elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism governing EGCG biosynthesis. The results demonstrated that exogenous PAC and LS treatments significantly elevated the accumulation of EGCG, as well as endogenous auxin and jasmonic acid (JA) contents. The variation trend of these key metabolites was highly consistent with the accumulation patterns of upstream flavonoid components, including eriodictyol, delphinidin, and epigallocatechin. Transcriptomic profiling further verified the critical involvement of auxin and JA signal transduction pathways in PGR-induced EGCG differential accumulation, and we screened a total of 14 auxin-related and 8 JA-related core signal regulatory factors. Furthermore, integrated bioinformatic analyses and antisense oligonucleotide (AsODN) functional validation experiments revealed that the core hormone signaling genes CsARF2 and CsMYC2 regulate the expression of CsSCPL16 through the transcription factor CsMYB80, and ultimately promote the conversion of epigallocatechin to EGCG and promote the accumulation of EGCG in tea plants. Collectively, the PGRs boost EGCG biosynthesis by mediating endogenous auxin and JA signal transduction. These results support the development of targeted agronomic practices to improve tea quality and lay a theoretical basis for expanding the industrial exploitation of tea bioactive constituents. Full article

Nitrogen (N) availability strongly influences tea growth and the accumulation of quality-related metabolites, but long-term responses to withdrawal of external N can vary among cultivars. In this study, we characterized phenotypic, spectral, biochemical, and transcriptomic responses of four Camellia sinensis accessions—‘Kolkhida’, ‘Karatum’, and γ-irradiation-derived mutant forms #582 and #619—during two, four, or six months of complete withdrawal of exogenous NH₄NO₃ in greenhouse sand culture. Phenotypic, spectral, and biochemical measurements included all four accessions at all three time points; RNA-seq data were available for all four accessions were represented at four and six months, whereas two-month point were available only for ‘Kolkhida’ and ‘Karatum’. Nitrogen withdrawal decreased L-theanine and caffeine and generally increased simple and gallated catechins, consistent with a change in carbon/nitrogen balance towards phenolic metabolism. The four cultivars exhibited markedly distinct responses. ‘Karatum’ showed the optimum resilience, with minimal phenotypic alteration and a neutral transcriptional response, while #582 demonstrated a stronger stress-associated phenotype and metabolic response. Within the available RNA-seq comparisons, DEG counts were lower at four months than at six months, while the two-month datasets for ‘Kolkhida’ and ‘Karatum’ contained the largest DEG sets for those two cultivars, suggesting a phased acclimation process. CsELIP1, CsSRG1, CsHHO2/4, CsNRT2.4, and CsTAT2 were identified as potential candidate genes associated with nitrogen limitation, flavonoid regulation, and amino acid metabolism. Our findings show that N-deficiency reactions in tea are highly cultivar- and time-dependent, making single-time-point evaluations insufficient. We propose ‘Karatum’ as a promising candidate for further evaluation in low-nitrogen dose–response and field trials based on our combined biochemical and transcriptional findings. Full article

Stress-induced sebaceous hyperactivity is a key driver of acne and seborrheic dermatitis; however, research investigating the pathway-specific mechanisms through which stress exerts its effects and the suppression of sebum production via targeting stress signaling remains relatively limited. In this study, we investigated whether Camellia nitidissima flower extract (CNF) could counteract stress-induced sebaceous dysfunction and its underlying mechanisms. Using a cortisone-stimulated SZ95 human sebocyte model, we evaluated lipid accumulation, cortisol production, signaling pathway activation, and apoptotic markers. CNF treatment dose-dependently suppressed cortisone-induced lipid production, reducing triglyceride, cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels by up to 35.44%, 38.02%, and 46.39%. Mechanistically, CNF inhibited 11β-HSD1 expression (17.17% reduction) and cortisol secretion (32.84% decrease), thereby blocking local cortisol reactivation. This upstream interception subsequently attenuated PI3K/Akt/mTOR hyperphosphorylation, downregulated lipogenic transcription factors (SREBP-1, PPARγ, LXRα, C/EBP-α) and their target enzymes (FAS, ACC, DGAT). Beyond lipid synthesis inhibition, CNF reversed cortisone-induced apoptosis resistance by reducing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and suppressing PCNA-mediated hyperproliferation, thereby decreasing sebocyte number. These findings demonstrate that CNF exerts dual oil-control effects: reducing lipid production per cell and reducing lipid-producing cell abundance. Collectively, CNF represents a promising multi-target botanical agent for managing stress-related sebaceous disorders and cosmetic sebum regulation. Full article

Nitrogen deficiency is one of the key factors limiting the growth and raw-material quality of tea plants; however, cell-autonomous mechanisms underlying the response of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze to reduced nitrogen availability remain insufficiently studied. This study characterized biochemical and transcriptomic changes in callus cultures of three tea cultivars (‘Kolkhida’, ‘Karatum’, and cultivar #582) after two months of cultivation on Murashige–Skoog medium lacking nitrogen-containing components. Nitrogen withdrawal caused visible stress symptoms, reduced total nitrogen in ‘Kolkhida’ and ‘Karatum’ (total nitrogen was not determined in cultivar #582), and altered the accumulation of L-theanine, caffeine, and catechins in a cultivar-dependent manner. ‘Kolkhida’ showed decreases in simple catechins, L-theanine, and caffeine; ‘Karatum’ showed increases in simple and gallated catechins together with a decrease in L-theanine; and cultivar #582 showed smaller changes in most measured biochemical traits. RNA-seq identified 1898 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ‘Kolkhida’, 4551 in ‘Karatum’, and 9869 in cultivar #582. The enriched Gene Ontology term “response to karrikin” (GO:0080167) was common to all three cultivars, whereas cultivar-specific profiles differed substantially. In the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, key phenylpropanoid genes were predominantly downregulated in cultivar #582 but induced in ‘Kolkhida’ and ‘Karatum’. RT-qPCR confirmed the direction of change for selected genes. Under the tested in vitro conditions, ‘Kolkhida’ showed the strongest biochemical deterioration, whereas cultivar #582 combined the greatest biochemical stability with the most extensive transcriptomic remodeling. Because total nitrogen was not measured in cultivar #582, its apparent tolerance remains provisional. Tea callus cultures therefore provide a controlled discovery system for cell-autonomous candidate responses, but cultivar rankings and candidate markers require validation in independent callus lines and whole plants. Full article

Tea quality is largely determined by the accumulation of specialized metabolites in fresh leaves, yet the effects of the propagation method on tea quality and its belowground ecological basis remain insufficiently understood. In this study, sexually propagated (SR) and asexually propagated (AR) tea plants were compared by integrating soil physicochemical analysis, leaf quality and physiological measurements, widely targeted metabolomics, and rhizosphere metagenomic profiling. Compared with AR, SR plants exhibited more favorable rhizosphere nutrient conditions, with soil organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, and available phosphorus increasing by 23.1%, 18.2%, 27.8%, and 161.5%, respectively, although available potassium decreased by 24.4%. SR leaves also contained higher dry matter, tea polyphenol, and soluble sugar contents, which increased by 11.5%, 58.8%, and 8.6%, respectively. In addition, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and indole-3-acetic acid oxidase activities were 30.4%, 92.0%, and 21.7% higher under SR, whereas hydrogen peroxide content remained unchanged. Metabolomic profiling revealed marked differences in leaf metabolic composition between the two propagation types, with differentially accumulated metabolites mainly enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis, phenolic acid metabolism, caffeine metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signaling, and α-linolenic acid metabolism. Rhizosphere metagenomic analysis further showed that SR was characterized by higher relative abundances of Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, Planctomycetota, Alphaproteobacteria, and Streptomycetales, together with distinct microbial functional profiles related to glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and pyruvate metabolism. Significant correlations were identified between several SR-enriched microbial taxa and quality-related metabolites, particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids. Overall, under the present field conditions, sexual propagation was more favorable than asexual propagation for tea quality formation, as reflected by improved nitrogen and phosphorus availability, greater accumulation of quality-related metabolites, higher antioxidant enzyme activities, and distinct rhizosphere microbial carbon-metabolic potential. These findings provide an integrated soil–microbiome–metabolome perspective for understanding propagation-related differences in tea quality. Full article

Camellia gauchowensis is widely distributed in South China. Field observations indicate that it produces abundant flowers but yields relatively few fruits under natural conditions. Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of this low fruit output is essential both for revealing adaptive strategies in oil-tea camellia and informing cultivation improvement. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the flowering phenology, floral traits, pollen traits, pollinator activity, and breeding-system characteristics of C. gauchowensis. The results showed that C. gauchowensis produces perfect flowers but suffers from a narrow effective pollination window during its late-autumn-to-winter flowering period. Stomium-cell contaminants mixed with pollen grains may contribute to its poor pollen germination capacity. Cytochemical staining (TTC and FDA) significantly overestimated viability compared to in vitro germination results, and thus could not serve as a reliable substitute for functional pollen assessment. Both the outcrossing index and the pollen–ovule ratio indicated that C. gauchowensis exhibits a reproductive tendency toward outcrossing, with its sexual reproduction largely dependent on pollinators. Among the recorded floral visitors, Apis cerana represents the most promising pollinator candidate owing to its numerical dominance, frequent stigma contact, and superior cold-tolerance capacity. Our results reveal that reproductive success in C. gauchowensis is collectively constrained by multiple factors: a narrow effective pollination window, low pollen viability, winter-driven pollinator scarcity, and its reproductive tendency toward outcrossing. This study elucidates the coupled intrinsic–extrinsic mechanisms underlying low fruit output in this winter-flowering oil-tea camellia and provides theoretical underpinnings for pollination management and high-yield cultivation of this economically important woody crop. Full article

The stem-boring herbivore Aeolesthes induta severely threatens tea (Camellia sinensis) production, yet the systemic defense mechanisms of tea plants remain largely elusive. The unique age-dependent infestation pattern of A. induta—with minimal damage to young tea plants but infestation rates reaching 20% in 30-year-old trees and nearly 100% in ancient tea trees—necessitated field sampling from naturally infested old tea plantations rather than controlled laboratory conditions. By integrating rhizosphere microbiomics, transcriptomics, and multi-omics modeling, this study characterized the defensive regulatory networks of 30-year-old Shuixian tea cultivars under A. induta infestation. Rhizosphere microbiome analysis revealed that herbivore attack significantly reshaped the microbial community structure, reducing bacterial diversity and simplifying co-occurrence network complexity. Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling demonstrated a precise source–sink defense allocation between host tissues. In leaves acting as the photosynthetic source, metabolic reprogramming was dominated by the systematic accumulation of soluble sugars and sugar acids for systemic energy reallocation. Concurrently, the roots acting as the metabolic sink vigorously activated the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling cascade and upregulated genes enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism. This molecular activation drove the substantial de novo synthesis of defensive phenolic acids, while downregulating growth-related flavonoids. Integrated network modeling further highlighted the phenylpropanoid pathway as the central regulatory node coupling transcript–metabolite fluctuations. This study constructs an integrated soil microbiome–root–leaf defense network, providing novel mechanistic insights into plant–borer interactions and a valuable foundation for future insect-resistant breeding programs in the tea industry. Full article

Visible–near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral imaging is promoted as a rapid substitute for ICP-MS in soil heavy metal monitoring, yet most evidence rests on single-split or non-nested validation. This study benchmarks VNIR prediction for Camellia oleifera plantation soils in Changshan County, Zhejiang, China (n = 83; 102 bands, approximately 401–1022 nm; 51 modeling indicators) under strict nested cross-validation, with all imputation, scaling, preprocessing, and model selection confined to each outer training fold. Four findings emerged. First, the highest observed mean ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) under the present protocol was 1.13. This did not reach the empirical 1.4 interpretive benchmark adopted here, and most fold-wise R² values were negative. Second, a 1D-CNN with squeeze-and-excitation attention performed significantly worse than a linear baseline for six of ten indicators and better for none; gains seen in the earlier non-nested exploratory analysis did not persist under leakage-controlled evaluation. Third, re-casting the task as regulatory risk level classification did not recover operational utility: Cr and Zn recall values were supported by only two and one exceeding samples, respectively, and cannot estimate population screening sensitivity. Fourth, an exploratory post hoc SHAP analysis using a full-data Random Forest assigned 24% of top wavelengths to Fe-oxide or organic-matter reference bands versus a 5.9% permutation null mean (empirical p = 0.020, the minimum attainable with 50 permutations). This attribution identifies plausible spectral proxy regions but is not independent evidence of predictive generalizability or causality. Separately, 22.9% of plots exceeded the GB 15618-2018 arsenic risk screening value. Within this dataset and validation design, VNIR imaging therefore supports neither reliable quantitative prediction nor operational screening. Full article

To better address the accuracy bottleneck of RGB-only Camellia oleifera C.Abel fruit detection in complex orchard environments, this paper proposes CIAFNet—a dual-stream RGB-D fusion detection network—and evaluates its potential as a visual front end for relative 3D localization using sensor-measured depth and camera back projection under controlled conditions. With RGB images and depth maps as parallel dual-branch inputs, the network integrates the C3k2_PartialNetBlock for efficient intra-modal feature extraction with reduced computational redundancy, devises the cross-modal interaction and difference-aware adaptive fusion (CIDAF) module for adaptive cross-modal feature fusion, and adopts an SC-EUCB-augmented BiFPN in the neck to optimize multiscale feature aggregation and detail restoration during upsampling. Pseudo-depth maps generated from natural orchard RGB images via Depth Anything V2 were paired with RGB counterparts to build an RGB–pseudo-depth dataset. Synchronized RGB-D data collected by an Intel RealSense D435i under controlled conditions were used to quantify pseudo-to-sensor depth discrepancies and evaluate input adaptability. On the natural orchard test set, CIAFNet achieved 93.33% mAP@0.5 with only 10.49 GFLOPs and 3.80 M parameters. Second-stage fine-tuning improved CIAFNet’s adaptation to D435i-measured depth under controlled conditions. In the subsequent relative displacement consistency experiment, the mean absolute consistency errors along the X, Y, and Z axes were 3.10, 3.15, and 3.27 mm, respectively, and the mean 3D Euclidean consistency error was 5.60 mm. These results demonstrate that CIAFNet improves Camellia oleifera fruit detection using natural orchard RGB–pseudo-depth data and has potential as a visual front end for relative 3D localization under controlled conditions. Full article

The aim of this study was to summarize current evidence on dust-related diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and their underlying mechanisms of action. A literature review was conducted based on publications indexed in ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Scopus, and Medline (PubMed), focusing on the mechanisms underlying dust-related diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, pneumoconiosis, and the potential of phytotherapeutic approaches to modulate these processes. The following keywords were used: bronchopulmonary system, pneumoconiosis, dust-related lung diseases, medicinal plants, herbal preparations, pulmonary rehabilitation, and lymphatic sanitation. The pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis involves the deposition of inhaled dust particles in the lung tissue, followed by chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and progressive fibrosis. In experimental models, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, tannins, and other phytochemical groups have demonstrated therapeutic potential in bronchopulmonary diseases. Among the compounds investigated, emodin, celastrol, kaempferol, sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate, astragaloside IV, and dioscin have shown promising effects by modulating key signaling pathways and reducing inflammatory responses. Experimental evidence indicates that these phytochemicals can target major pathways involved in inflammation and fibrogenesis, thereby exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects. The lymphatic system also contributes to the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis by transporting inhaled dust particles to regional lymph nodes, where their accumulation may promote lymph node sclerosis. Therefore, lymphatic sanitation may represent an important therapeutic mechanism of action of herbal formulations in pneumoconiosis. Our proposed lymphotropic herbal formulation enhances physiological lymphatic drainage and may positively influence the motility and functional activity of the tracheobronchial lymph nodes. The therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and herbal formulations in pneumoconiosis is supported by experimental findings for Tripterygium wilfordii (celastrol, through suppression of the EDNRB/Kng1–(endothelin receptor type B/kininogen1), Delphinium, Camellia, and Berberis species (kaempferol, through inhibition of TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4 signaling), Astragalus membranaceus (astragaloside IV, through antifibrotic activity mediated by inhibition of the TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor beta 1)/Smad3 (SMAD family member 3) pathway), and Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Rheum, and Aloe species (emodin, through inhibition of Smad3 and NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B) phosphorylation and reduction of TGF-β1, α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin), collagen I, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) levels in lung tissue). For these and several other medicinal plants and their flavonoids, antifibrotic activity has been demonstrated through inhibition of the Akt/NF-κB (protein kinase B/nuclear factor kappa B) signaling pathway. A promising direction for future research is to evaluate the combined use of herbal formulations with established antifibrotic agents to determine whether synergistic therapeutic effects can be achieved. Full article

Traditional plastic fats are rich in saturated and trans fatty acids, which can lead to chronic diseases. In contrast, camellia oil and litchi seed polyphenols are valuable natural functional ingredients. This work aimed to construct stable camellia oil oleogels using citrus pectin as the gel-forming component, lecithin as the emulsifier for constructing the emulsion template, and litchi seed polyphenols as both auxiliary gel-strengthening and antioxidant components. The oleogels were fabricated via emulsion templating combined with freeze-drying and shear forming. Effects of oil–water ratio and pectin concentration on microstructure, texture, rheology, oil-holding and thermal stability were investigated, with antioxidant activity evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging activity, acid value, and peroxide value. The optimal emulsion was obtained at oil–water ratio 5:5 and 4.0% pectin with uniform W/O droplets of 3.90 ± 0.24 μm. Oleogels with 3.0% pectin showed the best comprehensive performance, presenting dense network, favorable thermal stability and superior oil-binding capacity, along with a DPPH scavenging rate of 83.07 ± 0.06%. FTIR suggested that the oleogel network was primarily stabilized by non-covalent interactions without the formation of new chemical bonds. The prepared oleogels exhibited stable physicochemical properties and enhanced DPPH radical scavenging activity and oxidative stability, showing great potential in functional foods and topical delivery systems. Full article