Abstract
Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. is a medicinal plant belonging to family Malvaceae with both ethnomedical and culinary value; however, its phytochemical and biological profiles have been scarcely studied. Accordingly, this work was designed to explore the chemical composition and the hepatoprotective potential of M. arboreus against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity. The total extract of the aerial parts and its derived fractions (petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous) were orally administered to rats for six consecutive days, followed by injection of CCl4 (1:1 v/v, in olive oil, 1.5 ml/kg, i.p.) on the next day. Results showed that the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions significantly alleviated liver injury in rats as indicated by the reduced levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with enhancement of the total antioxidant capacities of their livers, with the maximum effects were recorded by the ethyl acetate fraction. Moreover, the protective actions of both fractions were comparable to those of silymarin (100 mg/kg), and have been also substantiated by histopathological evaluations. On the other hand, liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC‒HR‒ESI‒MS) metabolomic profiling of the crude extract of M. arboreus aerial parts showed the presence of a variety of phytochemicals, mostly phenolics, whereas the detailed chemical analysis of the most active fraction (i.e. ethyl acetate) resulted in the isolation and identification of six compounds for the first time in the genus, comprising four phenolic acids; β-resorcylic, caffeic, protocatechuic, and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acids, in addition to two flavonoids; trifolin and astragalin. Such phenolic principles, together with their probable synergistic antioxidant and liver-protecting properties, seem to contribute to the observed hepatoprotective potential of M. arboreus.
Highlights
Liver is a very important dynamic organ responsible for maintaining most of the vital physiological functions of the human body
Phytochemical qualitative analysis of the total ethanolic extract of M. arboreus aerial parts revealed the presence of carbohydrates and/or glycosides, steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and coumarins, whereas crystalline sublimates, cardenolides, saponins, alkaloids and/or nitrogenous compounds, quinones, and tannins were absent
The mass ion peak at m/z 610.150 for the predicted molecular formula C27H30O16 was dereplicated as the flavonoidal glycoside rutin (1), which was previously detected in M. arboreus by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of its flowers [11], whereas that at m/z 448.100, corresponding to the suggested molecular formula C21H20O11, was dereplicated as astragalin (2), which was formerly reported from the related species M. conzattii Greenm
Summary
Liver is a very important dynamic organ responsible for maintaining most of the vital physiological functions of the human body It performs multiple regulating roles in different metabolic, secretory, and elimination processes [1]. Liver injuries are primarily induced by numerous agents, including toxic chemicals, e.g., CCl4 and aflatoxins, alcohol, drugs, and viruses, in addition to the hazardous environmental pollutants [2,3]. Along with the awful patients’ suffering, current treatment approaches, including drug therapy and liver transplantation, are limitedly efficacious and are accompanied by several risky complications [6]. Medicinal plants and their bioactive secondary metabolites have received considerable attention owing to their tremendous potential for management and correction of various forms of hepatopathy [3,5]
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