Abstract
Apteranthes europaea (Guss.) Murb. subsp. maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes (A. europaea) is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicines to treat various diseases including hepatic pathogenesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of chemically characterized polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice. The chemical characterization of A. europaea polyphenol-rich fraction was carried out using HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a diode-array detector (DAD)). Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was used to induce liver injuries in mice as described in previous works. A polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea was used at a dose of 50 mg/Kg to study its hepatoprotective effect. Next, histopathological and biochemical alterations were investigated. The HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several phenolic compounds: gallic acid, methyl gallate, rutin, ferulic acid, and resorcinol. Regarding the mice treated with a polyphenol-rich fraction from A. europaea up to 50 mg/Kg and carbon tetrachloride, no significant biochemical nor histological alterations occurred in their liver; meanwhile, serious biochemical and histopathological changes were noted for liver recovered from the mice treated with carbon tetrachloride only. In conclusion, A. europaea extract is a promising source of hepatoprotective agents against toxic liver injury.
Highlights
The liver plays a crucial role in protecting the organism and maintaining the metabolic homeostasis of the body through the detoxification of toxic chemicals
Apteranthes europaea (Guss.) Murb. subsp. maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes (A. europaea) is a succulent leafless species belonging to the family Apocynaceae, which grows in Jordan and the Mediterranean countries [4]
The aerial parts of A. europaea are recommended for use as a juice or as a powder mixed with honey or milk to fight diseases [5]
Summary
The liver plays a crucial role in protecting the organism and maintaining the metabolic homeostasis of the body through the detoxification of toxic chemicals. It transforms lipophilic chemicals into hydrophilic metabolites rapidly eliminated from the body via urine [1,2]. This biotransformation may go along with the formation of reactive free radical metabolites with a capacity of binding to intracellular macromolecules which can lead to hepatic diseases [1]. Maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes (A. europaea) is a succulent leafless species belonging to the family Apocynaceae, which grows in Jordan and the Mediterranean countries [4] Apteranthes europaea (Guss.) Murb. subsp. maroccana (Hook.f.) Plowes (A. europaea) is a succulent leafless species belonging to the family Apocynaceae, which grows in Jordan and the Mediterranean countries [4]
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