Lab study, 2025
Can an extract from Codonopsis lanceolata peel help with PMS?
In lab and mouse studies, this plant peel extract changed hormone, immune and gut bacteria levels in ways that may relate to PMS, but this has not yet been tested in women.
What they did
Researchers tested Codonopsis lanceolata peel extract (CPE) in lab dishes with immune cells and hormone-making pituitary cells, and in mice given a drug to cause high prolactin levels, looking at hormone, inflammation and gut bacteria changes.
What they found
CPE lowered nitric oxide and reduced IL-6 and TNF-alpha (inflammation markers) in immune cells, and reduced prolactin release from hormone cells. In mice with high prolactin, CPE lowered prolactin, PGE2 and inflammatory markers, and raised PGE1 and FSH. It also increased helpful gut bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and reduced bacteria linked to inflammation.
What it means for you
This early work hints that the extract might help with the hormone and inflammation changes seen in PMS by affecting gut bacteria too, but it was only done in cells and mice, not in women with PMS, so it cannot yet be recommended as a treatment.
About the study
- Original title
- Therapeutic potential of <i>Codonopsis lanceolata</i> peel extract in premenstrual syndrome: insights into hormonal, immune, and microbial interactions
- Authors
- Gwon H, Kim HJ, Jeong JW et al.
- Journal
- Food science and biotechnology
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Codonopsis lanceolata peel extract (CPE)
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s10068-025-02003-w
Original abstract
This study investigated the therapeutic potential of Codonopsis lanceolata peel extract (CPE) for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The focus was on hormonal, immune, and microbial pathways. In vitro, CPE reduced nitric oxide production and suppressed IL-6 and TNF-α expression in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In pituitary GH3 cells stimulated with estradiol, CPE inhibited prolactin secretion. In a metoclopramide (MCP)-induced hyperprolactinemia mouse model, CPE decreased serum prolactin, PGE2, and inflammatory cytokines, while increasing PGE1 and FSH levels. Microbiome analysis showed that CPE enriched beneficial genera such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and reduced pro-inflammatory taxa including Oscillibacter and Desulfovibrionaceae . These microbial shifts were associated with improved inflammatory and hormonal markers. Overall, these findings suggest that CPE alleviates PMS symptoms by modulating endocrine function and regulating gut microbiota. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-025-02003-w.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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