Nutraceutical potential of exosome-like nanoparticles derived from Boehmeria japonica in inflammatory bowel disease

Despite the recent advances in treatment, some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience insufficient disease management and adverse side effects, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic strategies. We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of exosome-like nanoparticles (NPs) derived from Boehmeria japonica (BJ-NPs) in treating IBD. These BJ-NPs increased immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 production (p < 0.001) in mature dendritic cells (DCs) and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and surface molecules. Moreover, BJ-NP-treated DCs exhibited decreased immunostimulatory capacity for inducing activation of Th1 and Th17 subsets while promoting regulatory T cell activity. In a colitis animal model, BJ-NP administration mitigated weight loss (p < 0.001 at 4–10 days), improved disease activity index scores (p < 0.001 at 6–10 days), reduced colon length (p < 0.001), and ameliorated histological features. These findings suggest that BJ-NPs can be used as nutraceutical or therapeutic agent for various inflammatory diseases, including IBD.