New aspects on the hepatoprotective potential associated with the antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory activities of Vernonia condensata Baker

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2017-02, Vol.198, p.399-406
• Main Authors: Silva, Jucélia Barbosa da, Mendes, Renata de Freitas, Tomasco, Vívian, Pinto, Nícolas de Castro Campos, de Oliveira, Luiz Gustavo, Rodrigues, Matheus Nehrer, Aragão, Danielle Maria de Oliveira, Aguiar, Jair Adriano Kopke de, Alves, Maria Silvana, Castañon, Maria Christina Nogueira Marques, Ribeiro, Antônia, Scio, Elita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid; Acetaminophen - administration & dosage; Acetaminophen - toxicity; Animals; Anti-inflammatory; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anticholesteremic Agents - administration & dosage; Anticholesteremic Agents - isolation & purification; Anticholesteremic Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidant; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cell Line; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - etiology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; Cytokines - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Overdose; Hepatoprotective; Macrophages - drug effects; Macrophages - metabolism; Male; Mice; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Leaves; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Silymarin - pharmacology; Vernonia - chemistry; Vernonia condensate
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.01.039

Vernonia condensata Baker (Asteraceae) is traditionally used in South American Countries as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hepatoprotective. This study aimed to investigate the in vivo hepatoprotective and antioxidant, and the in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of the ethyl acetate partition (EAP) from the ethanolic extract of this medicinal plant leaves. For the in vivo hepatoprotective activity, rats were pretreated orally for seven days with vehicle, silymarin 100mg/kg or EAP 50, 100 and 200mg/kg. Then, acetaminophen 3g/kg was also orally administrated. Animals were euthanatized 24h after the damage inducement. The levels of the serum enzymes ALT, AST and ALP were determined, as well as the triglycerides, total cholesterol and fractions. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by TBARS assay and by the measurement of glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the rats liver tissue. The in vitro anti-inflammatory assay using Raw 264.7 cell line induced by lipopolysaccharide was conducted to verify EAP ability to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines. EAP was able to inhibit all the acute biochemical alterations caused by acetaminophen overdose. EAP inhibited malondialdehyde formation, maintained the catalase and increased the glutathione reductase activities. Also, EAP decreased NO, IL-6 and TNF-α levels at concentrations from 10 to 20µg/mL. 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid was isolated and identified as the major compound in EAP. Apigenin, luteolin, chlorogenic acid were also identified. EAP anti-inflammatory action may be due to its antioxidant activity or its capacity to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results strongly suggested that V. condensata may be useful as a possible therapy against liver damage. [Display omitted]