Ethanol extracts of bulbus of Fritillaria cirrhosa protects against pulmonary fibrosis in rats induced by bleomycin

• Published in: Journal of functional foods 2022-10, Vol.97, p.105239, Article 105239
• Main Authors: Yuan, Si, Tse, Wai Ming, Gaun Tse, Kathy Wai, Xu, Fuchun, Xie, Hongjun, AGA, Er-bu, Xiong, Hai, Ye, Bengui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bleomycin; Ethanol extract; Fritillaria cirrhosa; Pulmonary fibrosis
• ISSN: 1756-4646; 2214-9414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2022.105239

[Display omitted] •Alkaloid is the main bioactive ingredient of BFC-EE.•BFC-EE could protect the lung tissue of bleomycin-induced rats in a dose-dependent manner.•BFC-EE could inhibit the release of inflammatory factors in serum of bleomycin-induced rats.•BFC-EE could reduce the deposition of collagen fiber in lung tissue of bleomycin-induced rats.•BFC-EE could alleviate pulmonary fibrosis through inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Bulbus of Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (BFC) is a kind of plateau plant which can be used both as medicine and food in China. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of ethanol extract of bulbus of F. cirrhosa (BFC-EE) on pulmonary fibrosis using a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. The quality of BFC-EE was preliminarily evaluated through the contents of total alkaloids, imperialine, verticinone, verticine, imperialine-3-β-d-glucoside, delavine, peimisine, delavinone, yibeinoside A and ebeiedinone in BFC-EE were determined by UV–vis spectrophotometer and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Biochemical analysis and histopathological observation confirmed the protective effect of BFC-EE on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. In addition, western blotting analysis showed that BFC-EE inhibited the expression of α-SMA and Collagen I in lung tissues, decreased the p-NF-κB/NF-κB ratio and upregulate the expression of IκBα protein, suggesting that BFC-EE can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis in rats through inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.