Abstract
Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (SC) and Lycium chinense Mill. (LC) are widely distributed in Asia, where the fruit has traditionally been used for medicinal herbs. We previously reported that the roasting process improved the antioxidant and their hangover relieving effects. In this study, we assessed the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of water extract of SC, LC, and a mass ratio 1 : 1 mixture (SL), after roasting in RAW264.7 macrophage cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Roasted SL (RSL) extracts showed greater enhancement potential than the others, based on the inhibition of NO (nitric oxide) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in RAW264.7 cells. RSL also significantly decreased the proinflammatory markers (e.g., iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β) and NAD(P)H oxidase (NOX) signaling proteins (i.e., NOX (−1, −2, and −4), p22phox, p47phox, and p67phox). The inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-1 beta levels, NF-kB, and mitogen-activated kinase activations were also significantly inhibited by RSL treatment. Based on the results of cellular levels, we compared the promotion effects of RSL extract on liver injury mediated by alcohol-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in mice. Mice were fed a Lieber–DeCarli regular liquid alcohol diet with or without SL and RSL extracts for six weeks. Alcohol intake caused liver injury, evidenced by an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities. Consistent with the results in cell levels, RSL treatment remarkably downregulated ROS and inflammatory factors, as well as their signaling molecules, in serum and tissues. These results suggest that the roasting of SC and LC could potentially elevate the inhibition effect on alcohol-induced inflammation and oxidative stress and consequently prevent alcoholic liver damage. Also, the combination of SC and LC may provide a more synergistic effect than either alone.
Highlights
alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) is one of the most important health problems in the world and a major cause of death from liver disease [1]
We evaluated the contents of active compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-DAD analysis, including schisandrin and gomisin (A and N) in Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (SC) and betaine in Lycium chinense Mill. (LC) extracts, after roasting at 220°C for 9 min. e roasting conditions were adopted according to our previous studies [17, 18]
Compared to the group treated with RSC, RLC, and their raw materials, the roasted SL-treated group significantly suppressed LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05) (Figure 1(a)). e expression levels of inducible forms of NOS (iNOS) and COX-2 were significantly upregulated in the LPS-treated control (C) group by 2.10- and 4.79-fold (P < 0.001), compared with the blank (B) group (Figure 1(b))
Summary
ALD is one of the most important health problems in the world and a major cause of death from liver disease [1]. Ethanol induces the oxidation of liver cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP2E1) enzymes, and oxidation of CYP2E1 leads to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and peroxide anions. It was shown recently that mice deficient in NOX (p47phox knockout mice) were completely protected against alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD) in the enteral ethanol feeding model [3]. A number of studies have reported that the iNOS produces NO by inflammatory stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and subsequently activates COX-2, resulting in the increased release of proinflammatory prostaglandins [5]. In ALD, enhanced ROS induces the activation of nuclear factor-
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