Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc. fruit ameliorates alcoholic liver injury in mice by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation through oxidative stress

The protective effect of Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharide on alcoholic liver injury in C57BL/6 mice

An alcohol-induced liver injury model was induced in C57BL/6 mice to assess the protective efficacy of Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharides (EP) against liver damage. Histological alterations in the liver were examined following hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Biochemical assay kits and ELISA kits were employed to analyze serum and liver biochemical parameters, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes and alcohol metabolism-related enzymes. The presence of oxidative stress-related proteins in the liver was detected using western blotting. Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to profile serum metabolites in mice. The findings demonstrated that EP-H (100 mg/Kg) reduced serum ALT and AST activity by 2.31-fold and 2.32-fold, respectively, when compared to the alcohol-induced liver injury group. H&E staining revealed a significant attenuation of microvesicular steatosis and ballooning pathology in the EP-H group compared to the model group. EP administration was found to enhance alcohol metabolism by regulating metabolite-related enzymes (ADH and ALDH) and decreasing CYP2E1 expression. EP also modulated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to bolster hepatic antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, EP restored the levels of lipid metabolites (Glycine, Butanoyl-CoA, and Acetyl-CoA) to normalcy. In summary, EP confers protection to the liver through the regulation of antioxidant activity and lipid metabolites in the murine liver.

Efficacy and Safety of Prunus mume and Choline in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Aim

The primary objectives of this study include evaluating changes in lipid profile and liver enzyme levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients receiving Prunus mume and choline supplementation (Revolic).

Materials and methods

Two-hundred patients were recruited from the hepatology outpatient department of a public hospital between January and June 2023. Patients who had confirmed diagnosis of NAFLD, proven with ultrasound (US) followed by biopsy or US alone with age >18 years were included in this study. The study variables were fasting blood sugar, cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels (GGT). All investigations were conducted and compared between baseline, 12 and 24 weeks following treatment.

Results

The mean age of all participants was 40.49 ± 10.59 years with 34 males and 166 females. The mean cholesterol levels were reduced to 179.86 ± 35.63 mg/dL from the mean baseline of 197.57 ± 42.52 mg/dL (p = 0.001). There was also a statistically significant difference found between baseline and posttreatment levels of LDL and triglyceride (p < 0.001). The ATL levels were also reduced from baseline 44.91 ± 32.40 U/L to 44.25 ± 30.66 and 41.06 ± 22.15 U/L between 12 and 24 weeks after treatment respectively. There was a statistically significant reduction in ATL, AST, and GGT levels from baseline with p-value < 0.001.

Conclusion

The combination of P. mume and choline (Revolic) gives promising results with a significant reduction in lipid profile and liver enzymes.

Clinical significance

The combination of P. mume and choline can be considered a reliable option for the management of NAFLD due to its efficacy and safety at 24 weeks after treatment as evident in the present study.

How to cite this article

Butt N, Masood M, Ali A. Efficacy and Safety of Prunus mume and Choline in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2023;13(2):124-127.

Polyphenols from Prunus mume: extraction, purification, and anticancer activity

Prunus mume is an ancient medicinal herb and food that are commonly used in Asian countries with high nutritional ingredients and biological activities. Polyphenols are important functional components in Prunus mume. To obtain a more efficient extraction process of Prunus mume polyphenols, a single-factor test and response surface method were used. After extraction and purification, the final polyphenol content of Prunus mume (L¹) was up to 90%. Biological experiments showed that L¹ had high anticancer activity against HeLa (125.28 μg mL^-1), HepG2 (117.24 μg mL^-1), MCF-7 (170.19 μg mL^-1), and A549 (121.78 μg mL^-1) in vitro by MTT assay. The combination of DDP and DOX significantly enhanced the anticancer activity of the four cell lines, especially L¹-DOX had the smallest IC₅₀ value of 0.04 μg mL^-1 against HepG2 cells, indicating the combination of drugs had synergistic effects. It is further demonstrated that L¹ could inhibit cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis with ROS detection and confocal fluorescence images. The relative tumor proliferation rate (T/C) was 40.6%, and the tumor inhibition rate was 57.9%, indicating L¹ to have no significant toxicity but high anti-HepG2 activity in vivo. Although the study is very limited, it is anticipated to provide a reference for further exploration of the functionality of the plant.

Removal of Cd from contaminated farmland soil by washing with residues of traditional Chinese herbal medicine extracts

Soil washing is one of the effective methods for permanent removal of heavy metals from farmland soil, and selection of washing agents determines heavy metal removal efficiency. However, there is still a lack of cost-efficient and eco-friendly washing agents. In this study, three residues of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (RTCHM) extracts: residues of Prunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb. et Zucc. (RPM), residues of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (RSC), and residues of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge (RCP), were tested for their potential of Cd removal. The variations in amounts and compositions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and citric acid were responsible for the difference in Cd removal efficiencies of RTCHM extracts. Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) analysis showed that hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amine were the main functional groups of RTCHM extracts to chelate with heavy metals. The optimum conditions for RTCHM extracts were 100 g L^-1 concentration, solid-liquid ratio 1:10, pH 2.50, and contact time of 1 h, and the highest Cd removal efficiencies of RPM, RSC, and RCP extracts reached 35%, 11%, and 15%, respectively. The ecological risk of Cd decreased significantly due to the decrease of exchangeable and reducible Cd fractions. RTCHM extracts washing alleviated soil alkalinity and had little effect on soil cation exchange capacity. Meanwhile, the concentrations of soil organic matter and nitrogen were enhanced significantly by RPM extracts and the activities of soil catalase and urease were also improved. Overall, among the tested extracts, RPM extracts was a much more feasible and environment-friendly washing agent for the remediation of Cd-contaminated farmland soil.

Extract of Jasminum grandiflorum L. alleviates CCl4-induced liver injury by decreasing inflammation, oxidative stress and hepatic CYP2E1 expression in mice

Jasminum grandiflorum L. (JG) is a medicinal plant containing many bioactive ingredients. Herein, we analyzed the effects of four different extracts and two compounds of JG on acute liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and underlying molecular mechanisms. 7 weeks old C57BL/6 male mice were used to establish a liver injury model by injecting with 1% CCl₄, 10 mL/kg ip. Four different extracts and two compounds of JG were given to mice by gavage for 3 days. Clinical and histological chemistry assays were performed to assess liver injury. Moreover, hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation related markers were determined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. As a result, JG extracts and two functional components showed different degree of protect effects against CCl₄-induced liver injury by the decrease of elevated serum transaminases and liver index, and the attenuation of histopathological changes in mice, among which JG extracted with petroleum ether (PET) had the most significant effect. In addition, PET remarkably alleviated hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation. Further studies revealed that PET significantly inhibited the TNF-α expression, signal pathway expression, NF-κB p65 and inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 expression in CCl₄-induced liver injury mice. Nevertheless, hydroxytyrosol (HT) alleviated liver injury by reducing oxidative stress. Apart from PET extract, other extracts of JG can inhibit cytochrome CYP2E1 expression to protect liver tissue. These findings suggest that the extracts and its components of JG possesses the potential protective effects against CCl₄-induced liver injury in mice by exerting antioxidative stress and anti-inflammation.

1-O-Actylbritannilactone Ameliorates Alcohol-Induced Hepatotoxicity through Regulation of ROS/Akt/NF-κB-Mediated Apoptosis and Inflammation

1-O-Acetylbritannilactone (ABL) is a marker component of Inula britannica L. and is reported to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities, including antiaging, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties. Although the protective effect of Inula britannica L. on animal models of liver injury has been widely reported, the effect of ABL on alcohol-induced liver damage has not been confirmed. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of ABL against alcohol-induced LO2 human normal liver cell injury and to further clarify the underlying mechanism. Our results revealed that ABL at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 μM could remarkably suppress the decreased viability of LO2 cells stimulated by alcohol. In addition, ABL pretreatment improved alcohol-induced oxidative damage by decreasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the excessive consumption of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), while increasing the level of catalase (CAT) in LO2 cells. Moreover, Western blotting analysis showed that ABL pretreatment activated protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation, increased downstream antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression, and decreased the phosphorylation level of the caspase family including caspase 9 and caspase 3 proteins, thereby attenuating LO2 cell apoptosis. Importantly, we also found that ABL significantly inhibits the activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway by reducing the secretion of proinflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-1β). In conclusion, the current research clearly suggests that the protective effect of ABL on alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity may be achieved in part through regulation of the ROS/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation and apoptosis in LO2 cells. (The article path map has not been seen.).

Current and potential trends in the bioactive properties and health benefits of Prunus mume Sieb. Et Zucc: a comprehensive review for value maximization

Prunus mume Sieb. Et Zucc (P. mume) is an acidic fruit native to China (named Chinese Mei or greengage plum). It is currently cultivated in several Asian countries, including Japan ("Ume"), Korea (Maesil), and Vietnam (Mai or Mo). Due to its myriad nutritional and functional properties, it is accepted in different countries, and its characteristics account for its commercialization. In this review, we summarize the information on the bioactive compounds from the fruit of P. mume and their structure-activity relationships (SAR); the pulp has the highest enrichment of bioactive chemicals. The nutritional properties of P. mume and the numerous uses of its by-products make it a potential functional food. P. mume extracts exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-hyperuricaemic properties, cardiovascular protective effects, and hormone regulatory properties in various in vitro and in vivo assays. SAR shows that the water solubility, molecular weight, and chemical conformation of P. mume extracts are closely related to their biological activity. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the fruit's potential nutritional and functional therapeutic mechanisms. The industrial process of large-scale production of P. mume and its extracts as functional foods or nutraceuticals needs to be further optimized.

Protective Mechanism of Edible Food Plants against Alcoholic Liver Disease with Special Mention to Polyphenolic Compounds

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one type of liver disease, causing a global healthcare problem and mortality. The liver undergoes tissue damage by chronic alcohol consumption because it is the main site for metabolism of ethanol. Chronic alcohol exposure progresses from alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) to alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), which further lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular cancer. Therapeutic interventions to combat ALD are very limited such as use of corticosteroids. However, these therapeutic drugs are not effective for long-term usage. Therefore, additional effective and safe therapies to cope with ALD are urgently needed. Previous studies confirmed that edible food plants and their bioactive compounds exert a protective effect against ALD. In this review article, we summarized the hepatoprotective potential of edible food plants and their bioactive compounds. The underlying mechanism for the prevention of ALD by edible food plants was as follows: anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, lipid regulation, inhibition of apoptosis, gut microbiota composition modulation, and anti-fibrosis.

The three-spot seahorse-derived peptide PAGPRGPA attenuates ethanol-induced oxidative stress in LO2 cells through MAPKs, the Keap1/Nrf2 signalling pathway and amino acid metabolism

Alcoholic liver diseases (ALDs) impose a substantial health burden on many countries. Bioactive peptides isolated from people, marine organisms, animals and plants have shown hepatoprotective effects on animal and hepatocyte models. In this study, an LO2 cell model of ethanol-induced liver injury in vitro was constructed. We investigated the hepatoprotective effects of the three-spot seahorse bioactive peptide (SBP) PAGPRGPA (Pro-Ala-Gly-Pro-Arg-Gly-Pro-Ala; 721.39 Da) and characterised the underlying metabolic pathways and biomarkers through a nontargeted metabolomics approach. We found that ethanol-induced oxidative stress impaired the cellular antioxidant system, leading to an imbalance in cellular homeostasis. However, SBP with a certain antioxidant activity inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, excessive intracellular Ca2+ level and abnormal apoptosis. It also restored the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels and attenuated ethanol-induced oxidative damage and inflammation. SBP suppressed the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in ethanol-stimulated LO2 cells. It also regulated the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signalling pathway to protect LO2 cells from oxidative damage by promoting the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Furthermore, the metabolomics approach demonstrated nine different biomarkers and six metabolic pathways. In summary, the hepatoprotective mechanisms of SBP in vitro, which can be attributed to the upregulation of antioxidant substances and amino acid metabolism, attenuate ethanol-induced oxidative stress.

Protective Effects of Taraxasterol against Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury by Regulating CYP2E1/Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB Signaling Pathways in Mice

Taraxasterol, a pentacyclic-triterpene compound, is one of the main active components isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Taraxacum. The objective of this study is to evaluate the protective effects of taraxasterol and its possible underlying mechanisms against ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. ICR mice were fed with Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% ethanol for 10 d and then challenged with a single dose of 20% ethanol (5 g/kg BW) by intragastric administration. The mice were intragastrically treated daily with taraxasterol (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg). Tiopronin was used as a positive control. The liver index was calculated, and the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in sera were detected. The contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the livers were measured. The histopathological changes of liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The protein expression levels of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), antioxidant protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in liver tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods. Taraxasterol significantly reduced the ethanol-induced increases of liver index, ALT, AST, and TG levels in sera and TG and MDA contents in the livers and hepatic ROS production and suppressed the ethanol-induced decreases of hepatic GSH level and SOD activity. Taraxasterol also significantly inhibited the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 induced by ethanol. In addition, taraxasterol improved the liver histopathological changes in mice with ethanol-induced liver injury. Further studies revealed that taraxasterol significantly inhibited the ethanol-induced upregulation of CYP2E1, increased the ethanol-induced downregulation of Nrf2 and HO-1, and inhibited the degradation of inhibitory kappa Bα (IκBα) and the expression level of NF-κB p65 in liver tissues of ethanol-induced mice. These findings suggest that taraxasterol possesses the potential protective effects against ethanol-induced liver injury in mice by exerting antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response via CYP2E1/Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Root bark of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica restrains acute alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis onset in mice by inhibiting ROS accumulation

Alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation are key drivers of alcohol-induced liver injury, mainly caused by oxidative stress. The roots bark of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica is well known for its substantial antioxidative and antitumorigenic potency. In this study, we examined whether this plant can ameliorate alcohol-induced liver injuries characterized by hepatic steatosis and inflammation through its antioxidative activity. C57BL/6J mice were treated with the root bark extract of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica (RUE; 100 mg of extract/kg bodyweight; oral gavage) and alcohol (1 g/kg of bodyweight; oral gavage) for 5 days. Markers of acute alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis were determined and putative molecular mechanisms responsible for the protection of RUE were investigated. RUE noticeably protected against alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), over-produced by alcohol, negatively orchestrated various signaling pathways involved in the lipid metabolism and inflammation. These pathways were restored through the ROS scavenging activity of RUE in the liver. In particular, the expression of lipogenic genes (e.g., SREBP-1, ACC, and FAS) and inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, and NF-κB p65) significantly decreased with RUE treatment. Conversely, the expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes (e.g., SIRT1, AMPKα, and PGC1α) were increased in mice treated with RUE. Thus, the results indicate that RUE counteracts and thus attenuates alcoholic hepatic steatosis onset in mice, possibly by suppressing ROS-mediated steatosis and inflammation.

Investigation of the Hepatoprotective Effect of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc Extract in a Mouse Model of Alcoholic Liver Injury Through High-Resolution Metabolomics

This study aimed to identify the changes in the metabolomics profile of liver damage caused by alcohol consumption and verify the beneficial effect of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc extract (PME) in protection of alcohol-induced injury by attenuating the level of identified metabolites. Mice were treated with PME and saline or untreated once daily for 5 days, followed by alcohol injection. The plasma samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based high-resolution metabolomics followed by a multivariate statistical analysis using MetaboAnalyst 3.0 to obtain significantly expressed metabolites, using a false discovery rate threshold of q = 0.05. Metabolites were annotated using Metlin database and mapped through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Among 4999 total features, 101 features were significant among alcohol- and PME-treated mice groups. All the samples cluster showed a clear separation in the heat map, and the scores plot of orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model discriminated the three groups. Phosphatidylcholine, Saikosaponin BK1, Ganoderiol I, and N-2-[4-(3,3-dimethylallyloxy) phenyl] ethylcinnamide were among the significant compounds with a low intensity in alcohol group compared to PME group, suggesting that these compounds have a relation in the development of PME's protective effect. The study confirms the hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects of PME against alcohol-induced liver steatosis, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Anti-steatotic and anti-inflammatory effects of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. extracts in chronic alcohol-fed rats

The anti-steatotic and anti-inflammatory effects of fruit water extract (FW) and seed ethanol extract (SE) of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. in chronic alcohol-fed rats were investigated. Rats were fed a liquid diet containing 36% calories from alcohol and orally administered FW or SE (300 and 500mg/kg/day). Both FW and SE reduced hepatic lipid contents and droplets, serum lipid concentration and inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6) levels compared with the alcohol control group. Alcohol led to significant decreases in the hepatic fatty acid oxidative gene (Ppargc1a, Cpt1a and Acsl1) levels, while it significantly increased the Myd88 and Tnfa gene levels. However, FW or SE supplementation significantly up-regulated gene expression of Ppargc1a, Ppara, Cpt1a and Acsl1, and down-regulated gene expression of Myd88, Tnfa and Crp compared with the alcohol control group. FW or SE supplementation also significantly decreased hepatic activities of fatty acid synthase and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in chronic alcohol-fed rats. Plasma alcohol and acetaldehyde levels, hepatic enzyme activity and protein expression of CYP2E1 were lowered by FW or SE supplementation. These results indicate that both FW and SE play an important role in improvement of alcoholic hepatic steatosis and inflammation via regulation of lipid and inflammation metabolism.