Dual anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Xipayi Mouth Rinse on radiation-induced oral mucositis: ethnopharmacological and preclinical evidence.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xipayi Mouth Rinse (XPY), a traditional Uyghur medicine formulation derived from Galla Turcica, has long been used to treat "oral heat-toxin syndromes," which closely resemble modern clinical presentations of radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM). Despite promising clinical observations, its pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of XPY in RIOM and to elucidate its chemical constituents and underlying mechanisms using integrated pharmacological approaches.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

RIOM was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by targeted head-and-neck irradiation. XPY was administered as a prophylactic or therapeutic intervention. Mucosal injury, histological changes, pain behaviors, and cytokine levels were assessed. Neurotransmitters were quantified via ELISA. XPY constituents were characterized using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS. Network pharmacology and molecular validation were employed to explore mechanisms, particularly the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

RESULTS

XPY significantly alleviated mucosal ulceration and inflammatory infiltration, suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 expression, and upregulated IL-10 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). XPY also modulated 5-hydroxytryptamine, β-endorphin, and dopamine levels, enhancing pain thresholds in behavioral tests. Molecular assays revealed XPY downregulated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 expression. Bioinformatics and chemical profiling identified gallic acid and ellagic acid as key multi-target constituents.

CONCLUSION

XPY exerts multi-target anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in RIOM through modulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB axis and nociceptive pathways. These findings support XPY as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of RIOM and demonstrate the value of integrating traditional ethnomedicine with modern pharmacology.