ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Immunology
This article is part of the Research TopicHealth Effects of Natural Compounds from PlantsView all 27 articles
Mosla chinensis Maxim. essential oil ameliorates DSS-induced colitis and enhances the intestinal barrier via the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- 2Central South University Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changsha, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by recurrent episodes. Mosla chinensis Maxim. Shixiangru (SXR) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly utilized for treating cold, fever, diarrhea, digestive disorders, and various other ailments. And its essential oil (SEO) has been identified to exert various physiological activities. Nonetheless, there is relatively scarce information on the interaction between SEO and UC. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory properties and potential mechanisms of SEO. A DSS-induced colitis mouse model was used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of SEO. The DAI scores, body weight, colon length and histopathological status of colon tissue were evaluated. The levels of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin, along with inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), were analyzed. The study also investigated RNA sequencing and gut microbiota composition. Results from the DSS-induced colitis mouse model demonstrated that SEO effectively reduced inflammation and regulated gut microbiota. SEO treatment notably enhanced Tight junction (TJ) production while inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Moreover, SEO may inhibit the activation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. This study highlights SEO's efficacy in alleviating colitis and modulating gut microbiota, offering insights into its therapeutic potential for UC through anti-inflammatory effects and maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. It provides a scientific foundation for using SEO in preventing and treating inflammation and related diseases.
Keywords: Gut Microbiota, intestinal barrier, Mosla chinensis Maxim., PI3K-Akt pathway, ulcerative colitis
Received: 31 Dec 2025; Accepted: 29 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Yin, Mo, Zhu, Wu, Lu, Zeng and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kaijun Wang
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.