TY - JOUR
T1 - Plant extracts identified by in vitro high-content screening improve epithelial barrier function and attenuate oxidative and inflammatory stress
AU - Wallner, Melanie
AU - Stadlbauer, Verena
AU - Blank-Landeshammer, Bernhard
AU - Heckmann, Mara
AU - Sadova, Nadiia
AU - Iken, Marcus
AU - Pitari, Giovanni Mario
AU - Weghuber, Julian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - Maintaining intestinal barrier integrity is crucial for gastrointestinal health. Bioactive compounds of plant origin can contribute to prevent barrier dysfunction. In this study, we employed a holistic approach to identify plant extracts with barrier improving properties utilizing a broad range of cell lines, epithelial models and assays targeting barrier protection, antioxidant activity, cytokine response and tight junction regulation. Among the 210 plant extracts screened from an in-house library, 5 % increased the transepithelial electrical resistance in MDCK-II cells. Subsequent validation in Caco-2 cells narrowed the number to 6 potent candidates. Among these, Lamium galebdolon, Anthriscus sylvestris and Asparagus officinalis exhibited the strongest barrier improvement through modulating the expression of CLDN1, CLDN3, OCLN and ZO-1. Furthermore, a combination of selected plant extracts delivered enhanced barrier tightness with clear additive effects exceeding those of the single extracts. Beyond this, the botanical mixture exhibited additive antioxidant, superior anti-inflammatory and barrier protective effects also under stress conditions. In conclusion, a tailored combination of selected plant extracts was identified that could be used in nutraceuticals to support gastrointestinal health.
AB - Maintaining intestinal barrier integrity is crucial for gastrointestinal health. Bioactive compounds of plant origin can contribute to prevent barrier dysfunction. In this study, we employed a holistic approach to identify plant extracts with barrier improving properties utilizing a broad range of cell lines, epithelial models and assays targeting barrier protection, antioxidant activity, cytokine response and tight junction regulation. Among the 210 plant extracts screened from an in-house library, 5 % increased the transepithelial electrical resistance in MDCK-II cells. Subsequent validation in Caco-2 cells narrowed the number to 6 potent candidates. Among these, Lamium galebdolon, Anthriscus sylvestris and Asparagus officinalis exhibited the strongest barrier improvement through modulating the expression of CLDN1, CLDN3, OCLN and ZO-1. Furthermore, a combination of selected plant extracts delivered enhanced barrier tightness with clear additive effects exceeding those of the single extracts. Beyond this, the botanical mixture exhibited additive antioxidant, superior anti-inflammatory and barrier protective effects also under stress conditions. In conclusion, a tailored combination of selected plant extracts was identified that could be used in nutraceuticals to support gastrointestinal health.
KW - Inflammation
KW - Intestinal barrier
KW - Oxidative damage
KW - Plant extracts
KW - Tight junction genes
KW - Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105008098526&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.prenap.2025.100226
DO - 10.1016/j.prenap.2025.100226
M3 - Article
SN - 2950-1997
VL - 7
SP - 100226
JO - Pharmacological Research - Natural Products
JF - Pharmacological Research - Natural Products
IS - 7
M1 - 100226
ER -