Dandelion polyphenols target inflammation pathway

By identifying quercetin and caffeic acid as the most active compounds, the researchers demonstrated that these molecules significantly reduce inflammatory cytokine production in immune cells. The findings provide scientific evidence supporting the development of dandelion-derived functional foods or nutraceuticals aimed at preventing diet-induced inflammation and related metabolic disorders.

Natural plant compounds have long been explored for their anti-inflammatory potential, and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is widely recognized in both traditional medicine and food applications for its health-promoting properties. Previous studies have shown that dandelion contains diverse bioactive components—including flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides—capable of antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities. However, despite growing interest in plant polyphenols, the specific compounds responsible for dandelion’s anti-inflammatory effects and the molecular mechanisms underlying these benefits have remained unclear. In particular, the dose-response relationships and synergistic interactions between multiple compounds have not been well characterized, highlighting the need for systematic investigation into how dandelion polyphenols regulate inflammatory signaling pathways.

A study (DOI: 10.48130/fia-0025-0053) published in Food Innovation and Advances on 27 January 2026 by Hui Zou’s & Yilun Chen’s team, Shandong Agricultural University, demonstrates that quercetin and caffeic acid act as key anti-inflammatory agents by regulating proteins involved in the AGE–RAGE pathway.

To uncover the molecular basis of these effects, the researchers first applied a network pharmacology approach combined with molecular docking analysis to identify potential anti-inflammatory compounds in dandelion. Using multiple bioinformatics databases, they screened 56 bioactive components and predicted their potential molecular targets. This analysis identified eight candidate compounds interacting with 29 inflammation-related proteins, among which quercetin and caffeic acid were found to influence several critical targets within the AGE–RAGE signaling pathway. Further computational docking showed that quercetin exhibited strong binding to several key targets, including IL1B and ICAM1, whereas caffeic acid showed relatively stronger binding to TNF, indicating their potential to disrupt inflammatory signal transmission. The team then performed cellular experiments using THP-1 human monocyte-derived macrophages stimulated with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) to mimic inflammatory conditions. By treating cells with different ratios of quercetin and caffeic acid, the researchers measured the secretion of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The results revealed that both compounds significantly reduced cytokine levels compared with untreated inflammatory cells. Notably, the combination containing equal proportions of quercetin and caffeic acid produced the strongest inhibitory effect, suggesting a synergistic interaction between the two molecules. To further explore the molecular mechanisms, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were conducted to examine changes in gene and protein expression associated with the AGE–RAGE pathway. The integrated multi-omics results showed that treatment with quercetin or the quercetin–caffeic acid mixture downregulated key inflammatory genes such as ICAM1, IL1B, and THBD, while altering the expression of chemokine CXCL8. These patterns were confirmed using quantitative PCR and Western blot assays, validating the reliability of the omics findings. Additional molecular docking analyses demonstrated that quercetin and caffeic acid bind strongly to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and interfere with downstream inflammatory signaling rather than directly competing with AGE molecules for the same binding site.

Overall, the study provides a comprehensive multi-omics framework revealing how dandelion polyphenols regulate inflammation at molecular, cellular, and computational levels. By identifying quercetin and caffeic acid as major bioactive compounds that modulate AGE–RAGE signaling, the research highlights the therapeutic potential of plant-derived polyphenols in controlling chronic inflammation. These insights not only deepen scientific understanding of dandelion’s medicinal properties but also support the development of functional foods and nutraceutical products designed to mitigate inflammation associated with modern diets and metabolic diseases.

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References

DOI

10.48130/fia-0025-0053

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.48130/fia-0025-0053

Funding information

This work was supported by the Innovation Project of Shandong Province Agricultural Application Technology (Grant No. 2130106), and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No. ZR2021QC049).

About Food Innovation and Advances

Food is essential to life and relevant to human health. The rapidly increasing global population presents a major challenge to supply abundant, safe, and healthy food into the future. The open access journal Food Innovation and Advances (e-ISSN 2836-774X), published by Maximum Academic Press in association with China Agricultural University, Zhejiang University and Shenyang Agricultural University, publishes high-quality research results related to innovations and advances in food science and technology. The journal will strive to contribute to food sustainability in the present and future.