ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the protective effect of the ethanol extract of Portulaca oleracea L. on acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice, and to analyze its effective components. Methods 80% ethanol purslane extract was centrifuged, vacuum distillated and vacuum dried into whole plant extract, supernatant extract and precipitated extract. Eighty ICR male mice were randomly divided into 8 groups: control group, liver injury model group, whole plant extract low-dose group, high-dose group, supernatant extract low-dose group, high-dose group, precipitation extract low-dose group, and high-dose group. After oral administration of distilled water or three kinds of purslane extract suspensions at different doses for 1 week, olive oil or CCl4 olive oil solution were injected subcutaneously respectively. After 16 hours, serum was collected to detect the levels of ALT, AST and IL-6 to evaluate the protective effect of purslane on acute liver injury. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to analyze the effective components of purslane extract. Results Compared with the model group, the levels of serum AST, ALT and IL-6 in high-dose whole plant extract group were significantly reduced. The serum ALT level of mice in the high-dose precipitation extract group was significantly reduced (P<0.05). The serum IL-6 level was decreased, but there was no significant difference. There were no significant changes in the levels of serum AST, ALT and IL-6 in the other intervention groups. 15 main components such as malic acid, citric acid, leucine, isoleucine, adenosine, succinic acid, genistein, tyrosine and phenylalanine were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Conclusion Purslane whole plant ethanol extract has hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects on CCl4 acute liver injury mice, which may be a combined effect of 15 active components.
ABSTRACT
Portulaca oleracea L. (PO) is known as "a vegetable for long life" due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological activities. However, the protective activity of the ethanol extract of PO (EEPO) against hypoxia-induced pulmonary edema has not been fully investigated. In this study, we exposed mice to a simulated altitude of 7000 meters for 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h to observe changes in the water content and transvascular leakage of the mouse lung. It was found that transvascular leakage increased to the maximum in the mouse lung after 6 h exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Prophylactic administration of EEPO before hypoxic exposure markedly reduced the transvascular leakage and oxidative stress, and inhibited the upregulation of NF-kB in the mouse lung, as compared with the control group. In addition, EEPO significantly reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules in the lungs of mice, as compared with the hypoxia group. Our results show that EEPO can reduce initial transvascular leakage and pulmonary edema under hypobaric hypoxia conditions.
