Study on Anti-Inflammatory Effects of and Muscle Recovery Associated with Transdermal Delivery of Chaenomeles speciosa Extracts Using Supersonic Atomizer on Rat Model

Repetitive motion or exercise is associated with oxidative stress and muscle inflammation, which can lead to declining grip strength and muscle damage. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and can be extracted from Chaenomeles speciosa through ultrasonic sonication. We investigated the association between grip strength declines and muscle damage induced by lambda carrageenan (LC) injection and exercise exposure in rats. We also assessed the reparative effects of transdermal pretreatment and post-treatment with C. speciosa extracts (CSEs) by using a supersonic atomizer. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of CSEs for cells was 10.5 mg/mL. CSEs significantly reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-1 beta) in in vitro cell tests. Rats subjected to LC injection and 6 weeks of exercise exhibited significantly increased inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-6). Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed inflammatory cell infiltration and evident muscle damage in the gastrocnemius muscle, which exhibited splitting and the appearance of the endomysium and perimysium. The treated rats' grip strength significantly declined. Following treatment with CSEs, the damaged muscles exhibited decreased IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 levels and normal morphologies. Moreover, grip strength significantly recovered. Pretreatment with CSEs yielded an immediate and significant increase in grip strength, with an increase of 180% and 165% occurring in the rats exposed to LC injection and exercise within the initial 12 h period, respectively, compared with the control group. Pretreatment with CSEs delivered transdermally using a supersonic atomizer may have applications in sports medicine and training or competitions.