Steamed ginseng shoot extract rich in less-polar ginsenosides ameliorated the acute hepatotoxicity caused by overdose of acetaminophen in mice

Abstract

• GSE exerted ability in reducing ALT and AST levels and oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation caused by overdose APAP. • GSE played vital roles in modulating excessive inflammation and apoptosis caused by APAP. • GSE with liver protective effect at lower doses had toxic effect at higher doses in mice. • GSE’s better liver protection in mice might be due to its abundant less-polar ginsenosides. The current study was conducted to comprehensively explore the potential hepatoprotective effect of steamed ginseng shoot extract (GSE) in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury model of mice. Our findings demonstrated that a single injection of APAP (250 mg/kg) increased the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β, which were attenuated by GSE pretreatments (50–200 mg/kg) for seven days. Depletion of glutathione, reduced expression of Bcl-2, generation of malondialdehyde and the over expressions of cytochrome P450 E1, 4-hydroxynonenal, Bax and cytochrome c caused by APAP exposure were also inhibited by the GSE pretreatments. Moreover, GSEs significantly alleviated APAP-induced apoptosis, necrosis, and inflammatory infiltration in liver tissues. Importantly, GSEs effectively attenuated APAP-induced liver injury in part via blocking caspases-3/8/9 signaling pathway. In summary, GSEs exerted potent liver protection against APAP-caused hepatotoxicity evidenced by inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.