ABSTRACT
The polysaccharides from Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou sarcocarp (PWJS) is evaluated for the chemical composition, antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect. The characteristics of PWJS were determined by FT-IR spectral and HPLC analysis. The antioxidant activity was investigated using in vitro systems. An in vivo study of PWJS against CCl4 induced liver injury was also conducted. HPLC analysis showed that PWJS is an acidic heteropolysaccharide, rich in glucose (38.59%), arabinose (23.16%), galacturonic acid (17.64%) and galactose (10.44%). PWJS displayed strong antioxidant activity in vitro. In the in vivo study, PWJS treatment lowered the serum levels of ALT and AST in CCl4-intoxicated mice. Additionally, levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and GSH were elevated in liver damage mice by PWJS intervention, while content of MDA was lessened. Meanwhile, PWJS reverses the suppression of Nrf2 nuclear translocation, and increases the protein expression of HO-1, GSTα and NQO1 in liver damage mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the condition of liver damage was mitigated. This study demonstrates that PWJS reverses hepatotoxicity in CCl4-intoxicated mice through the mechanisms of antioxidant activity, as well as an augmentation of the Nrf2 pathway in liver tissue.
Subject(s)
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/prevention & control , Polysaccharides/pharmacology , Ziziphus/chemistry , Animals , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/drug effects , Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/physiology , Carbon Tetrachloride/toxicity , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Female , Liver/drug effects , Liver/pathology , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Male , Mice , Polysaccharides/chemistry , Polysaccharides/isolation & purification , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform InfraredABSTRACT
Objective Looking into the causes of self-regeneration obstacle of the wild Phellodendron amurense population in order to provide the reference for the sutdy of the germination mechanism. MethodsThe germination and seedling growth were observed by taking cabbage, wheat, and P. amurense as the tested objects and the sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense were extracted by alcohol and ethyl ether. Results The extract in sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense could decrease the germination rate of cabbage, wheat, and P. amurense seed, also inhibit the seedling growth in different levels. The inhibitory effect was getting stronger and stronger following the concentration increased. The ethyl ether extract showed the best inhibitory effect, while the water extract had no significant effect. The embryo, emdosperm, and cotyledon of P. amurense were extracted by distilled water, and among them the cotyledon had the strongest inhibition. Conclusion There are some substances with the better inhibitory effect in the sarcocarp and seed of P. amurense, which can inhibit the growth of itself and other plants significantly. The substance with the inhibitory effect exits mainly in cotyledon.
