Crepidiastrum denticulatum extract protects the liver against chronic alcohol-induced damage and fat accumulation in rats

Protective effects of leaf aqueous extracts from Gardenia ternifolia Schumach. on alcoholic liver disease in Wistar rats

BACKGROUND

Gardenia ternifolia (GT) is a plant of the Rubiaceae family, with a wide range of ethnopharmacological properties. However, its hepatoprotective effects were poorly investigated. This work aimed at assessing the hepatoprotective activity of GT leaf aqueous extracts against chronic ethanol-induced damage in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Wistar albino rats were given orally 10 % ethanol (10 mL/kg) and different doses of GT extracts (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) or distilled water (negative control) simultaneously and daily for 28 days. Normal controls were fed with a normal diet while positive controls received, in addition to ethanol, silymarin (50 mg/kg). After treatment, animals were sacrificed, blood and liver samples were collected, various biochemical parameters were quantified and the histological sections were performed. Moreover, a qualitative phytochemical analysis of this extract was carried out.

RESULTS

GT administration significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (10.35 ± 2.13 U/L and 9.07 ± 2.13 U/L vs 24.43 ± 4.28 UI/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (14.25 ± 3.02 and 18.32 ± 2.13 UI/L vs 34.61 ± 3.23 UI/L) activities at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg respectively in comparison with the negative control. Likewise, serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced by GT extract, especially at the dose of 200 mg/kg compared to the ethanol-treated group. Histological examination showed that the extract protected the liver by reducing hepatic cytolysis, and leukocyte infiltration. Different secondary metabolites including condensed tannins, phenolic acids, and saponins were found in the GT extract but none of these compounds corresponded to epicatechin, coumarin and naringenin.

CONCLUSION

These results show that GT extract may be a potential therapeutic agent against alcoholic liver disease.

Animal Models of Alcoholic Liver Disease for Hepatoprotective Activity Evaluation

Background: The reported statistics suggest that alcoholic liver disease is on the rise. Furthermore, medications used to treat the disease have unpleasant effects, and this necessitates the need to continuously investigate hepatoprotective agents. This study investigates animal models of alcoholic liver disease used to evaluate hepatoprotective activity. Content: A good number of published articles evaluating hepatoprotective activity were summarized. The studies used three ethanol-induced liver injury models: the acute ethanol-induced liver injury model, the chronic ethanol-induced liver injury model, and Lieber– DeCarli model. Summary: Wistar rats were primarily used in the ethanol-induced liver injury model. High levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) and histopathological alterations were found in all animal models (acute ethanol-induced liver injury, chronic ethanol-induced liver injury, and Lieber–DeCarli models). Severe steatosis was shown in both chronic ethanol-induced liver injury and Lieber–DeCarli models. However, fibrosis was undetected in all models.

Physiologic and Metabolic Changes in Crepidiastrum denticulatum According to Different Energy Levels of UV-B Radiation

Ultraviolet B (UV-B) light, as a physical elicitor, can promote the secondary metabolites biosynthesis in plants. We investigated effects of different energy levels of UV-B radiation on growth and bioactive compounds of Crepidiastrum denticulatum. Three-week-old seedlings were grown in a plant factory for 5 weeks. Plants were subjected to different levels of UV-B (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.25 W m⁻²), 6 h a day for 6 days. All UV-B treatments had no negative effect on the shoot dry weight; however, relatively high energy treatments (1.0 and 1.25 W m⁻²) inhibited the shoot fresh weight. UV-B light of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 W m⁻² did not affect total chlorophyll and H₂O₂ contents; however, they increased total carotenoid content. On 4 days, 0.25 W m⁻² treatment increased antioxidant capacity, total hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) content, and several sesquiterpenes. Treatments with 1.0 and 1.25 W m⁻² increased total carotenoid, total HCAs, and H₂O₂ contents, and destroyed chlorophyll pigments, reducing maximum quantum yield of photosystem II and causing visible damage to leaves. Partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) showed that secondary metabolites were distinguishably changed according to energy levels of UV-B. The potential of 0.25 W m⁻² UV-B for the efficient production of bioactive compounds without growth inhibition in C. denticulatum was identified.

The newly developed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for a potentially medicinal plant, Crepidiastrum denticulatum (Asteraceae), inferred from complete chloroplast genome data

Medicinal effects of Crepidiastrum denticulatum have been previously reported. However, the genomic resources of this species and its applications have not been studied. In this study, based on the next generation sequencing method (Miseq sequencing system), we characterize the chloroplast genome of C. denticulatum which contains a large single copy (84,112 bp) and a small single copy (18,519 bp), separated by two inverted repeat regions (25,074 bp). This genome consists of 80 protein-coding gene, 30 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. Notably, the trnT_GGU is pseudogenized because of a small insertion within the coding region. Comparative genomic analysis reveals a high similarity among Asteraceae taxa. However, the junctions between LSC, SSC, and IRs locate in different positions within rps19 and ycf1 among examined species. Also, we describe a newly developed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker for C. denticulatum based on amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) technique. The markers, inferred from SNP in rbcL and matK genes, show effectiveness to recognize C. denticulatum from other related taxa through simple PCR protocol. The chloroplast genome-based molecular markers are effective to distinguish a potentially medicinal species, C. denticulatum, from other related taxa. Additionally, the complete chloroplast genome of C. denticulatum provides initial genomic data for further studies on phylogenomics, population genetics, and evolutionary history of Crepidiastrum as well as other taxa in Asteraceae.

Autophagy Activation by Crepidiastrum Denticulatum Extract Attenuates Environmental Pollutant-Induced Damage in Dermal Fibroblasts

Pollution-induced skin damage results in oxidative stress; cellular toxicity; inflammation; and, ultimately, premature skin aging. Previous studies suggest that the activation of autophagy can protect oxidation-induced cellular damage and aging-like changes in skin. In order to develop new anti-pollution ingredients, this study screened various kinds of natural extracts to measure their autophagy activation efficacy in cultured dermal fibroblast. The stimulation of autophagy flux by the selected extracts was further confirmed both by the expression of proteins associated with the autophagy signals and by electron microscope. Crepidiastrum denticulatum (CD) extract treated cells showed the highest autophagic vacuole formation in the non-cytotoxic range. The phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK), but not the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), was observed by CD-extract treatment. Its anti-pollution effects were further evaluated with model compounds, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and cadmium chloride (CdCl₂), and a CD extract treatment resulted in both the protection of cytotoxicity and a reduction of proinflammatory cytokines. These results suggest that the autophagy activators can be a new protection regimen for anti-pollution. Therefore, CD extract can be used for anti-inflammatory and anti-pollution cosmetic ingredients.

Youngiasides A and C Isolated from Youngia denticulatum Inhibit UVB-Induced MMP Expression and Promote Type I Procollagen Production via Repression of MAPK/AP-1/NF-κB and Activation of AMPK/Nrf2 in HaCaT Cells and Human Dermal Fibroblasts

This study investigated the effects of youngiaside A (YA), youngiaside C (YC), and Youngia denticulatum extract (YDE) on extrinsic aging and assessed its molecular mechanisms in UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). The results showed that YA, YC, and YDE decreased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and production in HaCaT cell and HDFs and increased collagen expression and production in HDFs. In addition, YA, YC, and YDE significantly increased antioxidant enzyme expression, thereby down-regulating UVB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and ROS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) signaling in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, YA, YC, and YDE reduced phosphorylation of IκBα and IKKα/β, blocked nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 nuclear translocation, and strongly suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators. Finally, YA, YC, and YDE augmented UVB-induced adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and YA and YC did not inhibit MMP-1 production in AMPK inhibitor or nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) siRNA-treated HaCaT cells. The results suggest that these compounds could be potential therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of skin photoaging.