Extract essence of seven Chinese herbs potentially exhibit anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive effects

In recent decades, natural products have gained increasing attention as potential therapies for chronic diseases, including inflammation and cancer. Among them, a hot water extract derived from seven traditional Chinese herbs (Lycii fructus, Crataegi fructus, Phyllanthi fructus, Chrysanthemi flos, Coicis semen, Ganoderma lucidum, and Zizyphi fructus), referred to as LLA, has demonstrated potent antioxidative effects. In line with this, our study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of LLA and explore its potential for cancer prevention. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of LLA, we employed a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model. Daily oral administration of LLA significantly suppressed colitis symptoms, improving the disease activity index and mitigating colon tissue damage. Moreover, LLA treatment effectively inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effects, LLA exhibited remarkable efficacy in suppressing mouse colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and DSS. Administration of LLA during the AOM/DSS treatment resulted in a significant reduction in tumor occurrence and growth, highlighting its potential as a preventive agent against colon cancer. Furthermore, we investigated the antitumor effect of LLA using a mouse sarcoma S180 solid tumor model. Although LLA did not demonstrate significant antitumor effects on established tumors, its application prior to tumor formation significantly inhibited tumor occurrence and growth. Collectively, these findings underscore the beneficial effects of LLA administration in the context of inflammatory diseases and highlight its potential as a preventive measure against cancer.