6'-O-Caffeoylarbutin from Que Zui tea ameliorates acetaminophen-induced liver injury via enhancing antioxidant ability and regulating the PI3K signaling pathway

Protective Effect of Que Zui Tea on d-Galactose-Induced Oxidative Stress Damage in Mice via Regulating SIRT1/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

Que Zui tea (QT) is an important herbal tea in the diet of the 'Yi' people, an ethnic group in China, and it has shown significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective effects in vitro. This study aims to explore the protective effects of the aqueous-ethanol extract (QE) taken from QT against ᴅ-galactose (ᴅ-gal)-induced oxidative stress damage in mice and its potential mechanisms. QE was identified as UHPLC-HRMS/MS for its chemical composition and possible bioactive substances. Thus, QE is rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Twelve compounds were identified, the main components of which were chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin. Histopathological and biochemical analysis revealed that QE significantly alleviated brain, liver, and kidney damage in ᴅ-gal-treated mice. Moreover, QE remarkably attenuated oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to increase the expression of antioxidant indexes, including GSH, GSH-Px, CAT, SOD, and T-AOC. In addition, QE administration could inhibit the IL-1β and IL-6 levels, which suppress the inflammatory response. QE could noticeably alleviate apoptosis by inhibiting the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax proteins in the brains, livers, and kidneys of mice. The anti-apoptosis mechanism may be related to the upregulation of the SIRT1 protein and the downregulation of the p53 protein induced by QE in the brain, liver, and kidney tissues of mice. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that the main components of QE, 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and robustaside A, had good binding ability with Nrf2 and SIRT1 proteins. The present study indicated that QE could alleviate ᴅ-gal-induced brain, liver and kidney damage in mice by inhibiting the oxidative stress and cell apoptosis; additionally, the potential mechanism may be associated with the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Hypolipidemic and Antithrombotic Effect of 6'-O-Caffeoylarbutin from Vaccinium dunalianum Based on Zebrafish Model, Network Pharmacology, and Molecular Docking

Vaccinium dunalianum leaf buds make one of the most commonly used herbal teas of the Yi people in China, which is used to treat articular rheumatism, relax tendons, and stimulates blood circulation in the body. In addition, 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin (CA) is a standardized extract of V. dunalianum, which has been found in dried leaf buds, reaching levels of up to 31.76%. Because of the uncommon phenomenon, it is suggested that CA may have a potential therapeutic role in hyperlipidemia and thrombosis. This study was designed to study the efficacy of CA on treating hyperlipidemia and thrombosis and the possible mechanisms behind these effects. Hyperlipidemia and thrombosis zebrafish models were treated with CA to observe variations of the integrated optical density within the vessels and the intensity of erythrocyte staining within the hearts. The possible mechanisms were explored using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results demonstrate that CA exhibits an excellent hypolipidemic effect on zebrafish at concentrations ranging from 3.0 to 30.0 μg/mL and shows thrombosis inhibitory activity in zebrafish at a concentration of 30.0 μg/mL, with an inhibition rate of 44%. Moreover, network pharmacological research shows that MMP9, RELA, MMP2, PRKCA, HSP90AA1, and APP are major targets of CA for therapy of hyperlipidemia and thrombosis, and may relate to pathways in cancer, chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation, estrogen signaling pathway, and the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications.

3-Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic Acid-Based Hybrids Alleviate Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in HepG2 by the Regulation of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Pathways: An Integrated Approach

In an effort to develop new compounds for managing drug-induced liver injury, we prepared 23 novel hybrids based on 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) using various biocompatible linkers. A bioguided approach was employed to identify the most promising hybrid. Eight compounds exhibited superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to the parent compound. Two of these hybrids (5b and 18) were able to reduce gene expression of TNF-α in LPS-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells, similar to dexamethasone. Subsequently, the hepatoprotective potential of these hybrids was evaluated against acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity in HepG2 cells at doses of 1 and 10 μM. Both hybrids effectively restored cytokine levels, which had been elevated by APAP, to normal levels. Furthermore, they normalized depleted superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione levels while significantly reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that AKBA-based hybrids exert their action by regulating PI3K and EGFR pathways, activating anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and initiating tissue repair and regeneration. Molecular docking studies provided insights into the interaction of the hybrids with PI3K. Additionally, the hybrids demonstrated good stability at different pH levels, following first-order kinetics, with relatively long half-lives, suggesting potential for absorption into circulation without significant degradation.

Effect of ultra-high pressure pretreatment on the phenolic profiles, antioxidative activity and cytoprotective capacity of different phenolic fractions from Que Zui tea

This study aims to explore whether ultra-high pressure (UHP) pre-treatment strengthened the bioaccessibility and bioactivities of the free (QF), esterified (QE) and insoluble-bound phenolics (QIB) from Que Zui tea (QT). The results revealed that the extraction yields, the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of three phenolic fractions from QT were markedly increased after ultra-high pressure (UHP) processing (p < 0.05). A total of 19 and 20 compounds were characterized and quantified in non- and UHP-treated QT, respectively, including the content of 6'-O-caffeoylarbutin (11775.68 and 13248.87 μg/g of dry extract) was highest in QF, the content of caffeic acid was highest in QE (2131.58 and 7362.99 μg/g of dry extract) and QIB (9151.89 and 10930.82 μg/g of dry extract). QF, QE and QIB from QT after UHP processing had better antioxidant, ROS scavenging, and anti-apoptosis effects. The possible mechanism of cytoprotective effect was related to Keap1-Nrf2 pathway.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction optimization of polyphenols from Boletus bicolor and evaluation of its antioxidant activity

Introduction

Boletus bicolor (B. bicolor) mushrooms are widely consumed as a valuable medicinal and dietary ingredient in China, but the active ingredients of this mushroom and their extraction methods were not extensively studied.

Methods

In this paper, we propose an optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method to detect natural antioxidant substances in B. bicolor. The antioxidants were quantitatively and quantitatively determined using UPLC-MS, the polyphenols were evaluated based on response surface methodology (RSM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed.

Results

The results showed that the optimal extraction was obtained under the following conditions: ethanol concentration 42%; solvent to solid ratio 34:1 mL/g; ultrasonic time 41 min; and temperature 40°C. The optimized experimental polyphenol value obtained under these conditions was (13.69 ± 0.13) mg/g, consistent with the predicted value of 13.72 mg/g. Eight phenolic compounds in the extract were identiffed by UPLC-MS: syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, caffeic acid, and quercetin. Chlorogenic acid exhibits the highest HOMO energy (−0.02744 eV) and the lowest energy difference (−0.23450 eV) among the studied compounds, suggesting that the compound might be the strongest antioxidant molecule. Eight phenolic compounds from the B. bicolor signiffcantly inhibited intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reduced oxidative stress damage in H2O2-induced HepG-2 cells.

Discussion

Therefore, it was confirmed that the UAE technique is an efficient, rapid, and simple approach for extracting polyphenols with antioxidant activity from B. bicolor.

Confusoside, a dihydrochalcone glucoside, prevents acetaminophen-induced liver injury by modulating the Nrf2/NF-κB/caspase signaling pathway

Dihydrochalcones are important bioactive ingredients in plants. Anneslea fragrans is an edible and medicinal plant, and its leaves are rich in dihydrochalcones. Confusoside (CF) is the most abundant dihydrochalcone in A. fragrans leaves, which is traditionally used in the treatment of liver diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of CF on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic injury in mice. CF could reduce the levels of AST, ALT, and LDH in the serum and enhance the antioxidant activity by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway to increase the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT), and the GSH content but decrease the MDA accumulation in liver tissues. Immunofluorescence assay and western blotting analysis showed that CF can regulate Nrf2 into the cell nucleus, thereby promoting the expression of downstream antioxidant-related proteins, including NQO1 and HO-1. In addition, CF could inhibit the liver inflammatory response by suppressing the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and NO. Molecular docking results showed that there was good binding between the CF and Keap1-Nrf2 protein. Western blotting and TUNEL analysis also revealed CF-inhibited cell apoptosis-related protein expression (Bcl2 and caspase-3/9 proteins). Thus, the CF from A. fragrans leaves could be served as an alternative hepaprotective agent for the treatment and prevention of APAP-induced liver injury.

Protective effect of Anneslea fragrans ethanolic extract against CCl4-induced liver injury by inhibiting inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis

Anneslea Fragrans Wall. (AF) is a medicinal and edible plant distributed in China. Its leaves and bark generally used for the treatments of diarrhea, fever, and liver diseases. While its ethnopharmacological application against liver diseases has not been fully studied. This study was aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extract from A. fragrans (AFE) on CCl₄ induced liver injury in mice. The results showed that AFE could effectively reduce plasma activities of ALT and AST, increase antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD and CAT) and GSH level, and decrease MDA content in CCl₄ induced mice. AFE effectively decreased the expressions of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2 and iNOS), cell apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9) and increased Bcl-2 protein expression via inhibiting MAPK/ERK pathway. Additionally, TUNEL staining, Masson and Sirius red staining, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that AFE could inhibit the CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis formation via reducing depositions of α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III. Conclusively, the present study demonstrated that AFE had an hepatoprotective effect by MAPK/ERK pathway to inhibit oxidative stress, inflammatory response and apoptosis in CCl₄-induced liver injury mice, suggesting that AFE might be served as a hepatoprotective ingredient in the prevention and treatment of liver injury.

A Saprophytic Fungus Tubeufia rubra Produces Novel Rubracin D and E Reversing Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Cells

Two new (1, 2 viz Rubracin D and E) and sixteen known Glyceroglycolipids (3–18) in the saprophytic fungus Tubeufia rubra (PF02-2) from decaying wood in freshwater habitat were isolated and identified. Their chemical structures were elucidated via means of the extensive spectroscopic analyses of NMR, HR-ESI-MS and UV spectra, as well as comparison with literature data. The new compounds were assayed for the reversal activity of multidrug resistance (MDR) on MCF-7/ADM, K562/ADM and A549/ADM cell lines, and both compounds 1 and 2 reversed MDR in the three resistant cancer cell lines with concentration dependence. In the assay on K562/ADM, both new compounds had been proved to have remarkable MDR reversal effects, which were higher than those of the positive control viz Verapamil (Vrp). Meanwhile, in the assay on A549/ADM, compound 1 displayed significant MDR reversal effects, which were also higher than those of Vrp at certain concentrations. Furthermore, the Western blot assay proved that both new compounds reversed the MDR in the resistant cancer cell line viz MCF-7/ADM by inhibiting the overexpression of P-glycoprotein. This is the first report that the Glyceroglycolipids isolated firstly from the fungal genus Tubeufia reversed MDR in resistant cancer cells.

Acetaminophen induced hepatotoxicity: An overview of the promising protective effects of natural products and herbal formulations

BACKGROUND

The liver plays an important role in regulating the metabolic processes and is the most frequently targeted organ by toxic chemicals. Acetaminophen (APAP) is a well-known anti-allergic, anti-pyretic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which upon overdose leads to hepatotoxicity, the major adverse event of this over-the-counter drug.

PURPOSE

APAP overdose induced acute liver injury is the second most common cause that often requires liver transplantation worldwide, for which N-acetyl cysteine is the only synthetic drug clinically approved as an antidote. So, it was felt that there is a need for the novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of liver diseases with less adverse effects. This review provides detailed analysis of the different plant extracts; phytochemicals and herbal formulations for the amelioration of APAP-induced liver injury.

METHOD

The data was collected using different online resources including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Springer, and Web of Science using keywords given below.

RESULTS

Over the past decades various reports have revealed that plant-based approaches may be a better treatment choice for the APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in pre-clinical experimental conditions. Moreover, herbal compounds provide several advantages over the synthetic drugs with fewer side effects, easy availability and less cost for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.

CONCLUSION

The current review summarizes the hepatoprotective effects and therapeutic mechanisms of various plant extracts, active phytoconstituents and herbal formulations with potential application against APAP induced hepatotoxicity as the numbers of hepatoprotective natural products are more without clinical relativity. Further, pre-clinical pharmacological research will contribute to the designing of natural products as medicines with encouraging prospects for clinical application.

Anti-hyperuricemia effect of hesperetin is mediated by inhibiting the activity of xanthine oxidase and promoting excretion of uric acid

Hesperetin is a natural flavonoid with many biological activities. In view of hyperuricemia treatment, the effects of hesperetin in vivo and in vitro, and the underlying mechanisms, were explored. Hyperuricemia models induced by yeast extract (YE) or potassium oxonate (PO) in mice were created, as were models based on hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase (XOD) in L-O2 cells and sodium urate in HEK293T cells. Serum level of uric acid (UA), creatinine (CRE), and urea nitrogen (BUN) were reduced significantly after hesperetin treatment in vivo. Hesperetin provided hepatoprotective effects and inhibited xanthine oxidase activity markedly, altered the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT), downregulated the XOD protein expression, toll-like receptor (TLR)4, nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, interleukin-18 (IL-18), upregulated forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in a uric acid-synthesis model in mice. Protein expression of organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), OAT3, organic cationic transporter 1 (OCT1), and OCT2 was upregulated by hesperetin intervention in a uric acid excretion model in mice. Our results proposal that hesperetin exerts a uric acid-lowering effect through inhibiting xanthine oxidase activity and protein expression, intervening in the TLR4-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway, and up-regulating expression of FOXO3a, MnSOD, OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, and OCT2 proteins. Thus, hesperetin could be a promising therapeutic agent against hyperuricemia.