Why do red- and yellow-colored edible herbs create warmth? A system pharmacological view of curcumin-mediated protection of mice from cold stress

Due to the cold winter, people living in the northwest region of China often eat red or yellow edible herbs to help keep their bodies warm and improve their immunity. Examples of red foods include Chili Peppers and Cinnamon, and examples of yellow foods include Turmeric, Dried Ginger and Carrots. However, the pharmacological properties and warming active compounds of these foods remain unclear. Therefore, an approach combining network pharmacological prediction and experimental validation was adopted to explore the phytochemicals and biological functions of red- and yellow-colored edible herbs for the first time. The results indicated that the warmer Q-markers of red- and yellow-colored edible herbs promoted body heat production and alleviated cold damage by regulating various biological pathways, among which thyroid hormone-mediated thermogenesis was highly correlated. Furthermore, curcumin was indicated to activate the thyroid by upregulating TSHR/TG/TPO/NIS to prolong the survival of mice exposed to −20 °C cold stress.