Abstract
Objectives : Alcohol-induced liver disease advances as to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cellular lipid peroxidation increase. We examined the hepatoprotective effects of Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizome extract (ZR), Pueraria lobata Ohwi flower extracts (PF), and a newly developed herbal juice (HJ), which was a combination of ZR and PF extracts, against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: The study utilized the human hepatoma cell line HepG2 cells to validate the hepatoprotective effect of HJ (50~200 ㎍/mL) against ethanol (EtOH, 700 mM)-induced liver damage. Results: HJ effectively reduced the protein expression of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1, adiponectin, and AMP-activated protein kinase in EtOH-induced HepG2 cells. The levels of ROS, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, which are the result of various synthesis and lipogenesis processes induced by EtOH in the liver, were reduced by HJ. Furthermore, the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase, enzymes linked to alcohol degradation, were more effectively downregulated by HJ treatment compared to treatment with ZR and PF alone, all without causing cytotoxic effects. Conclusions: HJ protects the liver by inhibiting EtOH-induced lipogenesis, lowering ROS generation, and improving alcohol degradation, which is more effective than ZR and PF alone. Further, in vivo experiments can offer additional evidence regarding the effectiveness, safety, and underlying mechanism of action of HJ.