Jaungo-based herbal complex regulates psoriasis-associated macrophage-keratinocyte inflammatory axis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by dysregulated cross-talk between macrophages and keratinocytes, resulting in excessive cytokine signaling and impaired epidermal barrier function. Traditional Jaungo has long been used as a topical remedy for inflammatory skin disorders, and its core herbal components exhibit well-documented anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective properties. This study aimed to develop a Jaungo-based herbal complex (JBHC) and evaluate its effects on macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses and keratinocyte barrier dysfunction under psoriasis-like conditions.

Publicly available transcriptomic datasets were analyzed to identify inflammatory and barrier-related gene expression patterns in psoriatic lesions. The anti-inflammatory effects of JBHC were assessed in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages by analyzing the expression of inflammatory mediators and signaling pathways. To evaluate macrophage-keratinocyte cross-talk, conditioned media from activated macrophages, with or without JBHC treatment, were applied to keratinocytes, followed by analysis of epidermal barrier gene expression.

Transcriptomic analyses revealed consistent upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, accompanied by significant suppression of key epidermal barrier genes in psoriatic lesions. JBHC markedly attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory signaling in RAW264.7 macrophages by downregulating NOS2, PTGS2, and multiple cytokine genes, while selectively modulating STAT1/STAT3 activation. Conditioned media from activated macrophages significantly suppressed the expression of filaggrin (FLG) and loricrin (LOR) in keratinocytes; however, conditioned media from JBHC-treated macrophages effectively mitigated this barrier gene suppression.

JBHC modulates macrophage-mediated inflammatory pathways and protects keratinocyte barrier gene expression under psoriasis-like inflammatory conditions. These findings suggest that JBHC has potential as a functional herbal complex targeting the macrophage-keratinocyte inflammatory axis in chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.