• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. However, the preventive effect of Alnus japonica leaf extracts on alcohol-related liver damage has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts of Alnus japonica leaf (AJL) against ethanol-induced liver damage in HepG2/2E1 cells. Treatment with AJL significantly prevented ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2/2E1 cells by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). This protective effect was likely associated with antioxidant potential of AJL, as evidenced by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and restoration of the depleted glutathione (GSH) levels in ethanol-induced HepG2/2E1 cells. Our findings suggest that FCC might be considered as a useful agent in the prevention of liver damage induced by oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2011

Plantago asiatica L. (PA), which is widely distributed in Korea, Japan and China, has traditionally been used as a popular folk medicine for the treatment of liver diseases. A variety of activities of PA was reported, that is hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-glycation and anti-oxidant effect. Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) is a potent nephrotoxic agent and has been reported to induce renal proximal tubular necrosis. In the present study, pre-treatment with PA extract (PAE) in Wistar rat followed by Fe-NTA i.p. treatment (13.5 mg Fe/kg body weight) was performed to detect the renal protective effect of PAE. Only Fe-NTA treated group showed increases in the level of serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr), and renal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), product of lipid peroxidation. Moreover, the level of biomarkers indicate the antioxidants status, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) were decreased. However, PAE pre-treated group showed decreases in the levels of serum BUN, serum Cr and renal tissue MDA in concentration dependent manner and increases in the level of GSH, GST and GR. These results are significantly different (p < 0.05) to the other groups. Our data suggest that PAE may be used as an chemopreventive material against Fe-NTA-mediated renal oxidative stress.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.701-710
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• 2008

The wild simulated ginseng (WSG) has been effectively used in folk medicine as a remedy against hepatic disease, hypertension and arthritic disease. However, there is still lack of scientific proof about its antioxidant capability. The present study has been conducted to evaluate the protective role of the WSG ethanol extract in the CCl4-induced oxidative stress and resultant hepatic disfunction in ICR mice. The electron donating abilities and IC50 of WSG etnanol extract were 76.86 ${\pm}$ 1.06% and 33.3 ${\mu}g$/mL (that of ascobic acid was 16.5 ${\mu}g$/mL), respectively. Total antioxidant status of WSG extract was 2.13 ${\pm}$ 0.06 mmoL/mg, while the values of ascorbic acid and BHT were 3.63 ${\pm}$ 0.06 and 3.12 ${\pm}$ 0.02, respectively. ICR mice (aged 3weeks) were fed for 4 weeks on AIN-93M diet and had free access to food and water. The animals were divided into three groups: normal group (intraperitoneally (i.p) injected with PBS at 100 ${\mu}L$/mouse), group C; CCl4-induced and without any treatment. (i.p injected only PBS, 100 ${\mu}L$ /mice), group G; CCl4-induced and treated with WSG (i.p injected with 5 mg WSG extract per mouse, suspended in 100 ${\mu}L$ phosphate buffer). After the i.p. injection of WSG or PBS (5 times for 7weeks), all mice were administered CCl4 in olive oil at the last day of the experiment, except for normal group. The normal group was administered only olive oil. Determination of plasma triglyceride, total cholersterol, fasting glucose and GPT activity was performed using automatic blood analyzer. To evaluate the protective effect against the oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation and TBARS were determined in blood leucocytes and RBC and hepatocyte, respectively. Body and organs weights and food intake did not show significant differences among the groups. Blood total cholesterol of group G was similar to that of normal group, which was the lowest in group C. The fasting blood glucose level was the highest in normal group (205.20 ${\pm}$ 135.24), which were decreased in group C (134.2 ${\pm}$ 79.31) and group G (126.48 ${\pm}$ 77.05). TBARS values in a red blood cell and hepatic tisuue homogenate were lower in group G comparing to the group C. DNA% in tail, tail length (TL) and tail moment (TM) of blood leucoocytes showed the highest values in group C (20.11 ${\pm}$ 2.47, 17.36 ${\pm}$ 2.58, 94.11 ${\pm}$ 12.29) and they were significantly diminished in group G (9.63 ${\pm}$ 1.19, 7.04 ${\pm}$ 1.50, 38.64 ${\pm}$ 7.60). In conclusion, wild simulated ginseng might be a protective agent against the oxidative stress.