Honey-Processed Chelidonium majus L. Ameliorates OVA-Induced Allergic Asthma Through Energy Metabolism and Inflammation Regulation

Background and Objective: Allergic asthma, a chronic respiratory illness, presents a significant healthcare burden. Honey-processed Chelidonium majus L. (HC), a traditional herbal formula, has shown promise as an anti-asthmatic treatment. However, the underlying mechanisms for these properties remain elusive. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of HC in a rat model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to Control, Model (asthma), Dexamethasone (positive control), low-, medium-, and high-dose HC groups (n = 8). Lung histopathology, serum inflammatory marker (interleukin (IL)-10, IL-13 ,and IL-1β), serum metabolomics, and transcriptomic analyses were employed to assess the effects of HC on airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and related metabolic and gene expression profiles. Results: HC treatment alleviated histological lung injury in asthmatic rats, downregulated the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-13 and IL-1β), while upregulating the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Metabolomic analysis revealed 46 metabolic biomarkers while the transcriptome analysis identified 754 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the Model and Control groups. Moreover, 35 metabolites were reversed and 273 DEGs were identified following high-dose HC treatment. Integration analysis manifested that 7 DEGs and 11 metabolites were associated with several enriched metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, glycometabolism, organic acid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. Conclusion: HC treatment ameliorates OVA-induced asthma in rats by regulating the expression of specific genes to restore metabolic homeostasis and suppress inflammation. This study provides valuable insights into the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of HC for asthma treatment.