Welcome to an exploration of Lemongrass Tea and its impact on cell signalling pathways, another instalment in our series on herbal teas and cell signaling pathways.
Key Takeaways:
- Lemongrass tea suppresses the NF-κB pathway, contributing to its anti-inflammatory properties and potential benefits in managing conditions associated with chronic inflammation.
- By activating the Nrf2 pathway, lemongrass tea enhances the body’s antioxidant defenses, protecting against cellular damage from oxidative stress.
- It can induce apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines, suggesting potential anticancer benefits through the modulation of cell death pathways.
- Lemongrass tea may affect lipid metabolism, indicating possible benefits for weight management and cardiovascular health, although more research is needed to fully understand these effects.
- Its antimicrobial effects, possibly linked to disruption of microbial cell signaling and membrane integrity, support its use in traditional medicine for treating infections.
Exploring the Impact of Lemongrass Tea on Cell Signaling Pathways
Cell signaling pathways are intricate systems of biochemical processes that take place in cells. They encompass cell–cell communication and the triggering of particular molecular cascades that give rise to predetermined cell behaviors . These pathways are essential for the human body, as they help to ensure numerous physiological processes work in unison.
Lemongrass tea, made from the stalks of the lemongrass plant, Cymbopogon citratus, is popular in herbal medicine for its potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects. Its impact on cell signaling pathways contributes to its therapeutic properties. Below is an overview of the signaling pathways impacted by lemongrass tea and five key takeaways related to its effects on health.
Signaling Pathways Impacted by Lemongrass Tea
Lemongrass tea, made from the leaves of the Cymbopogon citratus plant, contains several bioactive compounds that can impact various signaling pathways in the body.
The prominent cultivation of lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) relies on the pharmacological incentives of its essential oil. Lemongrass essential oil (LEO) carries a significant amount of numerous bioactive compounds, such as citral (mixture of geranial and neral), isoneral, isogeranial, geraniol, geranyl acetate, citronellal, citronellol, germacrene-D, and elemol, in addition to other bioactive compounds. These components confer various pharmacological actions to LEO, including antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. (Mukhtar 2023)
Here is a table showing the major components of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oil adapted from Mukhtar 2023, along with some insights on whether these components would typically be present in lemongrass tea:
| Component | Percentage | Presence in Lemongrass Tea |
|---|---|---|
| α-citral (Geranial) | 18.50% | Likely, but in smaller amounts due to water solubility |
| β-citral (Neral) | 10.15% | Likely, but in smaller amounts due to water solubility |
| Geranyl acetate | 9.65% | Possibly, but less soluble in water |
| Ylangene | 5.70% | Unlikely, primarily present in oil |
| δ-elemene | 5.38% | Unlikely, primarily present in oil |
| Eugenol | 4.77% | Possibly, but in very small amounts |
Presence in Lemongrass Tea:
- Water-Soluble Compounds: Compounds like α-citral and β-citral might be present in lemongrass tea but in reduced concentrations compared to the essential oil. This is because while these compounds are somewhat soluble in water, the brewing process might not extract them as efficiently as oil distillation.
- Oil-Soluble Compounds: Components such as ylangene and δ-elemene are more oil-soluble and less likely to be present in significant amounts in lemongrass tea. Their chemical nature makes them less available in water-based infusions.
- Variable Solubility: Compounds like eugenol and geranyl acetate might appear in trace amounts in lemongrass tea. Their presence would depend on factors like the temperature of the water and the steeping time, as they have moderate solubility in water.
Here’s an overview of some of these compounds and the pathways they are known to affect:
- Citral (a mix of Geranial and Neral):
- Apoptosis Pathways: Citral has been shown to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells through various mechanisms, including the activation of caspases and modulation of the Bcl-2 family proteins.
- Inflammatory Pathways: Citral can inhibit the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 by modulating pathways like NF-κB, which plays a critical role in inflammatory responses.
- Eugenol:
- COX Pathways: Eugenol is known to inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This action helps reduce inflammation and pain.
- Antioxidant Pathways: Eugenol also acts as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals and enhancing the body’s own antioxidant mechanisms.
- Myrcene:
- Analgesic and Sedative Effects: Myrcene has been shown to produce sedative and analgesic effects, possibly through modulation of neurotransmitters or direct action on the central nervous system.
Lemongrass tea contains some of the same compounds as the essential oil, however the concentrations of these compounds will generally be much lower. The tea primarily offers a mild version of the benefits and flavors, making it suitable for daily consumption without the intensity of the essential oil.
Lemongrass – Apigenin, Kaemferol, and Quercetin
Lemongrass contains several flavonoids, including apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin. These compounds are well-known for their biological activities and have been studied for their effects on various signaling pathways:
- Apigenin:
- Anti-inflammatory Pathways: Apigenin can inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators by modulating pathways like NF-κB, which regulates the expression of genes involved in inflammation.
- Apoptosis and Cell Cycle: Apigenin induces apoptosis in cancer cells and may arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. It affects the PI3K/Akt pathway, which is crucial for cell survival and proliferation.
- Estrogenic and Anti-estrogenic Effects: Apigenin can bind to estrogen receptors, exhibiting both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activities, impacting reproductive health and cancer development.
- Kaempferol:
- Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory: Kaempferol exerts its effects by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, thus reducing inflammation.
- Apoptosis: It promotes apoptosis in various types of cancer cells through pathways involving caspases and Bcl-2 family proteins.
- Vascular Health: Kaempferol enhances nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelial cells and may inhibit the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is involved in angiogenesis.
- Quercetin:
- Anti-inflammatory and Immune Modulation: Quercetin can significantly reduce inflammatory cytokines and has been shown to modulate immune responses, partly through inhibition of IL-1 and TNF-α.
- Antioxidant: It reduces oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals and enhancing the body’s antioxidant defenses.
- Anti-cancer Properties: Quercetin interferes with multiple cancer cell signaling pathways, including those involving PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and MAPKs, promoting cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
All three of these flavonoids have broad impacts on cellular signaling pathways, influencing health outcomes related to inflammation, oxidative stress, cardiovascular health, and cancer. When consumed in lemongrass tea, the concentrations of these flavonoids are lower than those typically used in studies, so the effects are likely to be more subtle but beneficial over time with regular consumption.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, contributing to pancreatic dysfunction and insulin resistance. Ameliorating ER stress may be a viable therapeutic approach in the proper management of diabetes mellitus….
Significant down-regulation of ER stress genes was observed upon treatment of ER stress induced rats with Cymbopogon citratus methanolic extract when compared to ER-stress untreated rats. Significant up-regulation (p < 0.05) of genes coding for Nrf2 and AhR was also noticed upon treatment of ER stress induced rats with C. citratus methanolic extract. Molecular docking suggests that apigenin targets GRP78 with binding affinity of -9.3 kcal/mol while kaempferol and quercetin target Keap1 with binding affinity of -9.5 kcal/mol and may be responsible for this ameliorative effect on ER stress.
… These observations suggest that C. citratus mitigate ER stress induced by STZ via its down-regulative effect on GRP78 and up-regulative effect on NRF2 signaling. (Elekhofehinti 2020)
Conclusion
These insights into lemongrass tea and its effects on cell signaling pathways underscore its potential therapeutic benefits. However, it’s important to remember that many of these effects have been observed in vitro or in animal studies, and more research is needed to fully understand their implications for human health.