Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of Sacha inchi oil in atopic dermatitis mice

[Display omitted] •Atopic dermatitis is a prevalent, chronic, and recurrent inflammatory skin disease that significantly impacts the quality of life for patients.•Current conventional therapeutic drugs for atopic dermatitis include glucocorticoids, antihistamines, and immunosuppressants, all of which have noticeable side effects and therapeutic instability.•The Sacha inchi oil studied in this research is a natural plant extract that is gentle and safe without any toxic side effects.•Furthermore, Sacha inchi oil demonstrates promising therapeutic and ameliorative effects on atopic dermatitis, as evidenced by reductions in skin thickness, mast cell infiltration, inflammatory factor expression, as well as enhancements in the body’s antioxidant properties and immunity.•Therefore, compared to current conventional atopic dermatitis drugs, Sacha inchi oil holds significant potential for development and application in the treatment of atopic dermatitis and can be considered a key direction for future development efforts. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition characterized by a multifaceted pathogenesis, which encompasses immune system signaling dysregulation, compromised skin barrier function, and genetic influencers. Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) oil (SIO) has demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, however, the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of SIO on AD remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the anti-AD effect of SIO and its possible molecular mechanism in mice with AD. The results demonstrated that SIO significantly reduced the degree of skin lesions and scratching, and improved the skin thickness and mast cell infiltration in AD mice. Furthermore, SIO significantly reduced the levels of immunoglobulin E, histamine and thymic stromal lymphopoietin in serum of AD mice. Additionally, it inhibited the expression of tumor necrosis factor-γ, interferon-γ, interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin 1β and other inflammatory cytokines in the lesions skin of mice. The Western blotting analysis revealed that SIO exhibited an upregulatory effect on the protein expression of filaggrin and loricrin, while concurrently exerting inhibitory effects on the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of P38, ERK, NF-κB, and IκBα within their respective signaling pathways. Consequently, it can be inferred that SIO exerts a significant anti-atopic dermatitis effect by modulating the P38, ERK, NF