Abstract
The fruit pulp extract of Tamarindus indica has been reported for its antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties. In this study, the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp was investigated for its effects on the abundance of HepG2 cell lysate proteins. Cell lysate was extracted from HepG2 cells grown in the absence and presence of the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp. Approximately 2500 spots were resolved using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and the abundance of 20 cellular proteins was found to be significantly reduced. Among the proteins of reduced abundance, fourteen, including six proteins involved in metabolism (including ethanolamine phosphate cytidylyltransferase), four mitochondrial proteins (including prohibitin and respiratory chain proteins), and four proteins involved in translation and splicing, were positively identified by mass spectrometry and database search. The identified HepG2 altered abundance proteins, when taken together and analyzed by Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) software, are suggestive of the effects of T. indica fruit pulp extract on metabolism and inflammation, which are modulated by LXR/RXR. In conclusion, the methanol fruit pulp extract of T. indica was shown to cause reduced abundance of HepG2 mitochondrial, metabolic, and regulatory proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation, protein synthesis, and cellular metabolism.
Highlights
Tamarindus indica or tamarind is a tropical fruit tree native to the African savannahs but it can be found in many tropical countries
The altered abundance of 20 protein spots were detected when HepG2 cells were exposed to the fruit pulp extract of T. indica (Table 1)
Among the identified HepG2 proteins, three components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, namely, ubiquinol-cytochrome-c reductase complex core protein 2 (UQCRC2), NADH dehydrogenase 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 10 (NDUFA10), and NADH dehydrogenase flavoprotein 1 (NDUFV1), were found to be reduced in abundance when HepG2 cells were exposed to T. indica fruit pulp extract
Summary
Tamarindus indica or tamarind is a tropical fruit tree native to the African savannahs but it can be found in many tropical countries. It is categorized as a monospecific genus in the family of Leguminosae. The sweet and sour taste of its fruit pulp is used to add flavor to local cuisines. Previous biochemical analyses have demonstrated that extracts of T. indica possess high antioxidant activities [3, 4]. T. indica extracts have been shown to reduce the levels of blood cholesterol and triacylglycerol in hypercholesterolemic hamsters [3] and in humans [5]. The molecular mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic effects of the fruit remain elusive
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