Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin 10 (IL-10) Regulation Reduces Epithelial Inflammation in Mice Using a Topical Cream with Ficus minahassae

Abstract

Inflammation is an immune response contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. However, anti-inflammatory treatments present limitations including availability of resources, high costs, and adverse reactions. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of a traditionally used medicinal indigenous plant in the Philippines, Ficus minahassae (Hagimit), as a potential natural and cost-effective alternative in the form of a topical cream. We utilized a carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice and evaluated phenotypic, hematological, and genetic markers. Our findings demonstrated that the hagimit cream reduced paw edema comparable to a commercially available cream. After 8 hours, significant difference in paw temperature was observed among mice treated with mometasone furoate cream and F. minahassae cream which may suggest different mechanisms of inflammation resolution. The resolution of inflammation is parallel to the upregulation of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10), pro and anti-inflammatory markers, respectively. This is corroborated by hematological parameters where neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and granulocyte (%) showed marked reduction. The upregulation of IL-1β and IL-10 reflects a systemic inflammatory resolution response, as evidenced by the hematological measurements. Our work underscores the therapeutic promise of hagimit as a natural, accessible, and sustainable anti-inflammatory agent and suggests the corresponding molecular mechanisms.