Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Croton hypoleucus Extract in an Induced-Necrosis Model in Rats.

Thania Alejandra Urrutia-Hernández,Juana Benedí,Mirandeli Bautista,Francisco Jose Sánchez-Muniz,Osmar Antonio Jaramillo-Morales,Minarda De La O-Arciniega,Claudia Velázquez-González,Jorge Arturo Santos-López

doi:10.3390/molecules24142533

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of Croton hypoleucus (EC). The present work reports the first pharmacological, toxicological, and antioxidant studies of EC extract on liver injury. Liver necrosis was induced by thioacetamide (TAA). Five groups were established: Croton Extract (EC), thioacetamide (TAA), Croton extract with thioacetamide (EC + TAA), vitamin E with thioacetamide (VE + TAA) and the positive control and vehicle (CT). For EC and EC + TAA, Wistar rats (n = 8) were intragastrically pre-administered for 4 days with EC (300 mg/kg.day) and on the last day, EC + TAA received a single dose of TAA (400 mg/kg). At 24 h after damage induction, animals were sacrificed. In vitro activity and gene expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (Cat), and Nrf2 nuclear factor were measured. The results show that EC has medium antioxidant properties, with an IC50 of 0.63 mg/mL and a ferric-reducing power of 279.8 µM/mg. Additionally, EC reduced hepatic damage markers at 24 h after TAA intoxication; also, it increased SOD and Cat gene expression against TAA by controlling antioxidant defense levels. Our findings demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect of EC by reducing hepatic damage markers and controlling antioxidant defense levels. Further studies are necessary to identify the mechanism of this protection.

Highlights

Medicinal plants play a key role in the human health care system [1]
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation is generally considered to have a beneficial effect in liver disease [72], we found that the antioxidant mechanism inducted by EC was independent of activation of Nrf2 expression
The current study reports the first antioxidant and hepatoprotective evaluation of ethanolic crude extract of Croton hypoleucus (EC) in a frame of a thioacetamide-induced (TAA) liver damage model in rats

Summary

Introduction

Medicinal plants play a key role in the human health care system [1]. According to the WorldHealth Organization, between 65% and 80% of the populations of developing countries currently use medicinal plants [2], as extracts, infusions, or bioactive compounds to treat primary conditions [3,4].Several pharmacology studies have shown the role of medicinal plants on the treatment and prevention of liver diseases [5]. Medicinal plants play a key role in the human health care system [1]. Health Organization, between 65% and 80% of the populations of developing countries currently use medicinal plants [2], as extracts, infusions, or bioactive compounds to treat primary conditions [3,4]. Several pharmacology studies have shown the role of medicinal plants on the treatment and prevention of liver diseases [5]. The biological and hepatoprotective activity of plant extracts defends hepatocytes against lipid peroxidation and other oxidative effects [6] as free radicals, toxic, viral, and bacterial agents [7]. The hepatoprotective activity of plants has been related to several compounds, like flavonoids (isoflavones, anthocyanins, catechins, quercetins), saponins, coumarins, alkaloids, and terpenes [5]. In the complementary traditional medicine, some Croton species are highlighted due to their anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antinociceptive, antiplasmodic, antiproliferative, antiviral, Molecules 2019, 24, 2533; doi:10.3390/molecules24142533 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules

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