Hepatoprotective activity of the Phyllanthus species on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BH)-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells

A review of Phyllanthus urinaria L. in the treatment of liver disease: viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Due to the pathological production of liver disease in utility particularly complexity, the morbidity and mortality of liver disease including viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rapidly increasing worldwide. Considering its insidious onset, rapid progression and drug resistance, finding an effective therapy is particularly worthwhile. Phyllanthus urinaria L. (P. urinaria), an ethnic medicine, can be applied at the stages of viral hepatitis, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and HCC, which demonstrates great potential in the treatment of liver disease. Currently, there are numerous reports on the application of P. urinaria in treating liver diseases, but a detailed analysis of its metabolites and a complete summary of its pharmacological mechanism are still scarce. In this review, the phytochemical metabolites and ethnopharmacological applications of P. urinaria are summarized. Briefly, P. urinaria mainly contains flavonoids, lignans, tannins, phenolic acids, terpenoids and other metabolites. The mechanisms of P. urinaria are mainly reflected in reducing surface antigen secretion and interfering with DNA polymerase synthesis for anti-viral hepatitis activity, reducing hepatic stellate cells activity, inflammation and oxidative stress for anti-liver fibrosis/cirrhosis activity, as well as preventing tumor proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis for anti-HCC activity via relevant signaling pathways. Accordingly, this review provides insights into the future application of natural products in the trilogy of liver diseases and will provide a scientific basis for further research and rational utilization of P. urinaria.

Hepatoprotective Native Plants Documented in Brazilian Traditional Medicine Literature: Current Knowledge and Prospects

The native flora of Brazil covers a large biodiversity of plants, some of which have important pharmacological properties. Ethnobotanical studies have established that the folk use of plants for hepatobiliary disorders is very common in Brazil. This review aimed to compile, describe and discuss the main native Brazilian medicinal plants used as hepatoprotective agents listed on 25 books by authors from various regions in the country. Based on the 153 species found, a comprehensive analysis of the most relevant scientific studies is presented, including Piper umbellatum, Echinodorus macrophyllus, Fevillea trilobata and Achyrocline satureioides. Some medicinal plants share both a large number of citations and scientific evidence to corroborate their hepatoprotective effects, including Solanum paniculatum, Baccharis crispa and Phyllanthus niruri, which could be of interest to develop new phytomedicines. Additionally, some active ingredients are indicated as being responsible for the liver protective effects described, particularly phenolic compounds (flavonoids, coumestans and lignans).

A synbiotic combination of Lactobacillus gasseri 505 and Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract prevents hepatic toxicity induced by colorectal cancer in mice

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known to be a life-threatening disease and commonly leads to metastasis in the liver. Fermented milk acts as an effective carrier for probiotic strains, whose consumption improves host health. Our previous study indicated that fermented milk that included a synbiotic combination of Lactobacillus gasseri 505 (505) and Cudrania tricuspidata leaf extract (CT) resulted in significantly greater anti-oxidative effects than fermented milk without CT. Therefore, we hypothesized that fermented milk containing CT and 505 (FCT) could result in hepatoprotective effects against CRC-induced liver metastasis. Liver inflammation and CRC were induced in male C57BL/6J mice, using azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate, and 505, CT, and FCT were administered to the 3 sample-treated 505, CT, and FCT groups, respectively, for 10 wk. The results showed that FCT treatment significantly reduced serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase concentrations and elevated albumin concentrations. Moreover, the results of histological analysis showed that hepatic steatosis was notably reduced in the FCT group. Among the 3 sample-treated groups, the expression of mRNA associated with enzymes showing anti-oxidative activities, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, was the highest in the FCT-treated mice. In addition, FCT administration resulted in the greatest anti-inflammatory activity, as inflammatory marker levels (i.e., tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2, myeloperoxidase, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells) were significantly downregulated at the mRNA level and the expression of proteins associated with the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways was suppressed by FCT. Therefore, this study demonstrated that fermented milk containing novel synbiotics has the potential to prevent hepatic toxicity induced because of CRC owing to its enhanced anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Pharmacological and polyphenolic profiles of Phyllanthus phillyreifolius var. commersonii Müll. Arg: An unexplored endemic species from Mauritius

Phyllanthus phillyreifolius var. commersonii Müll. Arg is an endemic plant of Mauritius. To date, no study has been performed concerning its polyphenolic profile and pharmacological properties. In this study, a decoction (water), ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the aerial parts of P. phillyreifolius, obtained from different extraction procedures (maceration and Soxhlet), were studied for antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and enzyme inhibitory properties along with their polyphenolic profile. The ethyl acetate macerated extract showed high antibacterial activity against B. cereus (MIC = 0.293 mg/mL) and E. coli (MIC = 0.417 mg/mL) while S. epidermidis was most susceptible to the ethyl acetate-Soxhlet extract (MIC = 0.521 mg/mL). The methanol-Soxhlet extract displayed the most potent cupric and ferric reducing power, and metal chelating effect, while the macerated methanolic extract was the most effective DPPH and ABTS scavenger, and BChE inhibitor. Only the ethyl acetate-Soxhlet extract exhibited α-glucosidase inhibition. All extracts exhibited a strong anti-tyrosinase activity, which was further investigated by molecular docking and molecular dynamic. After 48 h exposure to the extracts for HeLa cell lines, the ethyl acetate-Soxhlet extract showed the highest inhibition (IC₅₀ = 533.1 μg/mL) while the decoction extract was more cytotoxic to MDA-MB-231 cells (IC₅₀ = 337.4 μg/mL). Treatment of cancer cell lines with all P. phillyreifolius extracts resulted in a time-dependent reduction of cell viability for HeLa and dose-and time-dependent reduction for MDA-MB-231. Gene expression ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax was higher for all Soxhlet-extracts. Total phenolics (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) content were highest in the decoction and methanol-Soxhlet extract, respectively (122.43 mg GAE/g extract and 31.28 mg RE/g extract, respectively). The extracts were abundant in ellagitannins, although phenolic acids and flavonoids were also detected. Granatin B was detected for the first time in Phyllanthus species. Overall, the aerial parts of P. phillyreifolius exemplify a potent reservoir of bioactive phytochemicals for therapeutic applications.

A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Phyllanthus urinaria L

The genus Phyllanthus (L.) is one of the most important groups of plants belonging to the Phyllantaceae family. Phyllanthus urinaria (L.) is an annual perennial herbal species found in tropical Asia, America, China, and the Indian Ocean islands. P. urinaria is used in folk medicine as a cure to treat jaundice, diabetes, malaria, and liver diseases. This review provides traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, and biological activities of P. urinaria. The literature reviewed for this article was obtained from the Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar journal papers published prior to December 2017. Phytochemical investigations reveal that the plant is a rich source of lignans, tannins, flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, and other secondary metabolites. Pharmacological activities include anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and cardioprotective effects. Thus, this present review summarizes the phytochemical constituents and their biological activities including biological studies on various crude extracts and fractions both in vitro and in vivo, and on clinical trial information about P. urinaria. This review compiles 93 naturally occurring compounds from P. urinaria along with their structures and pharmacological activities. The review is expected to stimulate further research on P. urinaria, and its pharmacological potential to yield novel therapeutic agents.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Steroidal Glycosides From Dioscorea villosa on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Hepatotoxicity in HepG2 Cells

Dioscorea villosa, commonly known as "Wild Yam" and native to North America, is well documented for its pharmacological properties due to the presence of steroidal glycosides. However, the hepatoprotective potential of these compounds has not been studied so far. The present investigation was aimed to study the hepatoprotective effect of the steroidal glycosides from D. villosa against H2O2, a known hepatotoxin, in human liver cell line (HepG2). Cytotoxicity assessment was carried out in cells exposed to various concentrations (10-50 μM) of compounds for 24 h using MTT assay and morphological changes. All tested compounds were known and among them, spirostans (zingiberensis saponin I, dioscin, deltonin and progenin III) were found to be cytotoxic whereas, furostans (huangjiangsu A, pseudoprotodioscin, methyl protobioside, protodioscin, and protodeltonin) were non-cytotoxic. Further, HepG2 cells were pretreated with biologically safe concentrations (10, 30, and 50 μM) of non-cytotoxic compounds and then cytotoxic (0.25 mM) concentration of H2O2. After 24 h, cell viability was assessed by MTT and NRU assays, while morphological changes were observed under the microscope. The results showed that treatment of HepG2 cells with compounds prior to H2O2 exposure effectively increased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, huangjiangsu A, pseudoprotodioscin, methyl protobioside, protodioscin, and protodeltonin at 50 μM increased GSH level and decreased intracellular ROS generation against H2O2-induced damages. The results from this study revealed that compounds isolated from D. villosa have hepatoprotective potential against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and ROS generation and could be promising as potential therapeutic agents for liver diseases.

Brown seaweeds protect against azoxymethane-induced hepatic repercussions through up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and attenuation of oxidative stress

CONTEXT

Seaweeds of the genera Turbinaria and Padina have long been used as food and in traditional medicine for treating several diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The current study determines the protective efficacy of the brown seaweeds Turbinaria ornata (Turner) J. Agardh (Sargassaceae) and Padina pavonia (Linnaeus) J.V. Lamouroux (Dictyotaceae) against liver injury induced by azoxymethane (AOM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Swiss mice received 10 mg/kg AOM once a week for two consecutive weeks and then 100 mg/kg daily dose of either T. ornata or P. pavonia ethanolic extract. Thirteen weeks after the first AOM administration and 24 h after the last treatment, overnight fasted mice were sacrificed and samples collected.

RESULTS

Compared with the AOM group, both T. ornata and P. pavonia significantly decreased the activity of aminotransferases and the concentration of bilirubin while increased albumin levels in the serum. The antioxidative effect of both extracts was observed from the increased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver, both of which were decreased by AOM. Moreover, the levels of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide were reduced, and histological findings also confirmed the antihepatotoxic activity. In addition, treatment with T. ornata and P. pavonia significantly increased PPARγ and decreased NF-κB expression in the liver of AOM-administered mice.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that the protective function of T. ornata and P. pavonia on AOM-induced liver injury may be possibly exerted by multiple pathways including abolishment of inflammation and oxidative damage, and activation of PPARγ.

Hepatoprotective effect of ganoderma triterpenoids against oxidative damage induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in human hepatic HepG2 cells

CONTEXT

Ganoderma triterpenoids (GTs) have been recognised as an important bioactive ingredient in Ganoderma Lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst. (Polyporaceae), widely used for treating and preventing chronic hepatopathy of various etiologies.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to better understand the hepatoprotective effect of GTs and to enhance their use in food supplement pharmaceutical and medical industries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HepG2 cells were pretreated in the presence or absence of GTs (50, 100 and 200 μg/ml) for 4 h, then exposed with 60 μmol/L of t-BHP for an additional 4 h. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT method. ALT, AST and LDH production in culture medium and intracellular MDA, GSH and SOD levels were determined. Moreover, the total triterpenoid content and chemical constituents in GTs were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC/Q-TOF-MS, respectively.

RESULTS

GTs (50, 100 and 200 μg/ml) significantly increased the relative cell viability by 4.66, 7.78 and 13.46%, respectively, and reduced the level of ALT by 11.44%, 33.41% and 51.24%, AST by 10.05%, 15.63% and 33.64%, and LDH by 16.03%, 23.4% and 24.07% in culture medium, respectively. GTs could also remarkably decrease the level of MDA and increase the content of GSH and SOD in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the total triterpenoid content in GTs was 438 mg GAAEs/g GTs. And 16 triterpenoids in GTs were identified or tentatively characterised.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Our results showed that GTs had potent cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage induced by t-BHP in HepG2 cells, thus suggesting their potential use as liver protectant.

Comparative evaluation of standardized alcoholic, hydroalcoholic, and aqueous extracts of Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. against galactosamine-induced hepatopathy in albino rats

Background:

Phyllanthus maderaspatensis species (Euphorbiaceae) has been used in folk medicine of many countries as a remedy against several pathological conditions including jaundice and hepatitis. This study is an attempt to evaluate hepatoprotective activity of P. maderaspatensis against galactosamine-induced toxicity and also investigation of polyphenols in each extract.

Materials and Methods:

The extraction of P. maderaspatensis as per Ayurveda was simultaneously standardized and quantified for biochemical markers viz., polyphenols: Kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid by high-performance thin layer chromatography. Hepatotoxicity was induced albino adult rats by intraperitoneal injection of galactosamine (400 mg/kg). The quantified aqueous, hydroalcoholic and alcoholic extract of P. maderaspatensis (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight/day) were compared for evaluation of hepatoprotective potential, which were assessed in terms of reduction in histological damage, change in serum enzymes such as aspartate amino transaminase, alanine amino transaminase and alkaline phosphatase and increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substances.

Results and Discussion:

The hydroalcoholic extract was found to contain comparatively high amount of kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid which are responsible for hepatoprotection. Antioxidant parameters such as glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity in liver tissues were restored toward the normalization more significantly by the hydroalcoholic extract when compared with other extracts. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination.

Conclusion:

The hydroalcoholic extract standardized with respect to known biomarkers may be considered as a potent extract against hepatotoxicity.

Impact of Propionic Acid on Liver Damage in Rats

Propionic acid (PA) is a short chain fatty acid, a common food preservative and metabolic end product of enteric bacteria in the gut. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of PA on liver injury in male rats. Male western albino rats were divided into two groups. The first group served as normal control, the second was treated with PA. The activities of serum hepatospecific markers such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were estimated. Antioxidant status in liver tissues was estimated by determining the level of lipid peroxidation and activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Sodium and potassium levels were also measured in liver tissue. PA treatment caused significant changes in all hepatospecific markers. Biochemical analysis of liver homogenates from PA-treated rats showed an increase in oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation and lactate dehydrogenase, coupled with a decrease in glutathione, vitamin C and glutathione S- transferase. However, PA exposure caused no change in sodium and potassium levels in liver tissue. Our study demonstrated that PA persuade hepatic damage in rats.

An overview of important ethnomedicinal herbs of Phyllanthus species: present status and future prospects

The genus Phyllanthus consists of more than 1000 species, of which many are used as traditional medicines. The plant extracts have been used since ancient times, for treating hypertension, diabetes, hepatic, urinary, and sexual disorders, and other common ailments. Modern day scientific investigations have now confirmed pharmacognostic properties of Phyllanthus herbs. The phytochemicals attributing these medicinal properties have been identified in many of the Phyllanthus herbs. The morphologically similar herbs of Phyllanthus grow together and admixture of species during collection for manufacture of herbal medicines is quite common. Hence, along with pharmacognostic and phytochemical studies, appropriate protocols for correct identification of species are also important. As the use of these herbs as green medicines is becoming more popular, it is imperative to assess its genetic diversity and phylogenetic relatedness for future conservation strategies. This review is an attempt to present an overview of the existing studies on pharmacognostics, phytochemistry, species identification, and genetic diversity of Phyllanthus herbs and consequently (i) highlight areas where further research is needed and (ii) draw attention towards extending similar studies in underutilized but potentially important herbs such as P. maderaspatensis, P. kozhikodianus, P. rheedii, P. scabrifolius, and P. rotundifolius.

Some in vitro/in vivo chemically-induced experimental models of liver oxidative stress in rats

Oxidative stress is critically involved in a variety of diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly toxic molecules that are generated during the body's metabolic reactions and can react with and damage some cellular molecules such as lipids, proteins, or DNA. Liver is an important target of the oxidative stress because of its exposure to various prooxidant toxic compounds as well as of its metabolic function and ability to transform some xenobiotics to reactive toxic metabolites (as ROS). To investigate the processes of liver injuries and especially liver oxidative damages there are many experimental models, some of which we discuss further.

Hepatoprotective activity of Ficus religiosa leaves against isoniazid+rifampicin and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity

Background:

The present study was designed to investigate the hepato protective effect of methanolic extract of Ficus religisoa L., Moraceae, on isoniazid-rifampicin and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Materials and Methods:

Male Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups; group 1 served as a control received vehicle (Distilled water), group 2 served as a toxic control, received isoniazid-rifampicin (100 mg/ kg, i.p.) or paracetamol 200mg/kg, p.o in sterile water, groups 3, 4 and 5 received 100, 200 and 300mg/kg bw, p.o. methanolic extract of F. religisoa along with INH+RIF or paracetamol and group 6 received Liv 52 as reference standard. All the treatment protocols followed 21 days for INH+RIF model and seven days for paracetamol model, after treatment rats were sacrificed and blood was used for biochemical and liver was used for histological studies.

Results:

Administration of INH+RIF and paracetamol caused a significant elevation in the levels of liver marker enzymes (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (P < 0.001) in experimental rats. Administration of methanolic extracts of F. religisoa significantly prevented isoniazid-rifampicin and paracetamol induced elevation in the levels of serum diagnostic liver marker enzymes and TBARS level in experimental groups of rats. Moreover, total protein and reduced glutathione levels were significantly (P < 0.001) increased in treatment group. The effect of extract was compared with a standard drug, Liv 52. The changes in biochemical parameters were supported by histological profile.

Conclusion:

The methanolic extract of F. religisoa protects against isoniazid- rifampicin and paracetamol induced oxidative liver injury in rats.

Herbal products: benefits, limits, and applications in chronic liver disease

Complementary and alternative medicine soughts and encompasses a wide range of approaches; its use begun in ancient China at the time of Xia dynasty and in India during the Vedic period, but thanks to its long-lasting curative effect, easy availability, natural way of healing, and poor side-effects it is gaining importance throughout the world in clinical practice. We conducted a review describing the effects and the limits of using herbal products in chronic liver disease, focusing our attention on those most known, such as quercetin or curcumin. We tried to describe their pharmacokinetics, biological properties, and their beneficial effects (as antioxidant role) in metabolic, alcoholic, and viral hepatitis (considering that oxidative stress is the common pathway of chronic liver diseases of different etiology). The main limit of applicability of CAM comes from the lacking of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials giving a real proof of efficacy of those products, so that anecdotal success and personal experience are frequently the driving force for acceptance of CAM in the population.