Fatty Acid-Rich Fraction of <i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> L. Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions Mouse Model via Inflammatory Pathway Modulation: Integrative Docking and Experimental Validation
Trang Thi Minh Nguyen | Bom Park | Xiangji Jin | Qiwen Zheng | Gyeong-Seon Yi | Su-Jin Yang | Tae-Hoo Yi
Atopic dermatitis (AD) remains a therapeutic challenge due to the limitations of current treatments, creating demand for safer multi-target alternatives to corticosteroids. Our integrated study establishes <i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> L. (<i>H. syriacus</i>) as a mechanistically validated solution through computational and biological validation. The fraction’s two main compounds, linoleic acid and palmitic acid, exhibit favorable drug-like properties including high lipophilicity (LogP 5.2) and 87% oral absorption. Molecular docking collectively predicts comprehensive NF-κB pathway blockade. Experimental validation showed that the fraction (100 μg/mL) inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) by 78% and TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 40%, while significantly downregulating the chemokines TARC (73%) and MDC (71%). In DNCB-induced AD mice, the treatment (200 mg/kg/day) produced a 62% improvement in clinical severity scores, reduced serum IgE by 27%, decreased transepidermal water loss by 36%, and doubled skin hydration while normalizing pH levels from the alkaline to physiological range. While both treatments reduced DNCB-induced epidermal hyperplasia, <i>H. syriacus</i> (62.9% reduction) restored the normal thickness without pathological thinning, a critical advantage over corticosteroids that cause atrophy. This dual-action therapeutic achieves corticosteroid-level anti-inflammatory effects while restoring skin barrier integrity to normal levels and avoiding corticosteroid-associated atrophy, positioning it as a next-generation AD treatment.
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