Preventive Effect of the Korean Traditional Health Drink (Taemyeongcheong) on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatic Damage in ICR Mice

Halophytes: nutrients, bioactive compounds, chemical characterization and potential applications

Halophytes are plants adapted to saline soils found in a diversity of environments with varied climatic conditions and high salinity, developing different strategies to complete their life cycle. Their ecological, morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations allow resistance to the abiotic stresses suffered and the formation of bioactive compounds that give these plants anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant potential properties. Therefore, this study aimed to compile its different biological activities, its nutritional compounds, potential applications for pharmaceutical and food industries, its biotechnological use. Halophytes have vast potential for pharmaceutical industries, as well as being a sustainable alternative in production of animal feed and a viable possibility for replacing the use of table salt and its various applications in human nutrition. It is necessary to invest in new and diversified research highlighted in this study.

Anti-Obesity and Anti-Dyslipidemic Effects of Salicornia arabica Decocted Extract in Tunisian Psammomys obesus Fed a High-Calorie Diet

Salicornia is a halophyte plant that has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of scurvy, goiter, and hypertension. It is commercialized in Europe and Asia as fresh salads, pickled vegetables, green salt, or tea powder. This work is the first to assess the potential anti-obesity and anti-dyslipidemic effects of Salicornia arabica decocted extract (SADE). SADE was characterized by its significant in vitro radical scavenging activity (using DPPH and ABTS assays). The effect of SADE on food intake, weight loss, serum biochemical parameters, liver and kidney weights, adiposity index and on liver histology was investigated in the Tunisian gerbil Psammomys obesus (P. obesus), which is recognized as a relevant animal model of human obesity and diabetes. P. obesus animals were firstly randomly divided into two groups: the first received a natural low-calorie chow diet (LCD), and the second group received a high-calorie diet (HCD) over 12 weeks. On day 90, animals were divided into four groups receiving or not receiving SADE (LCD, LCD + SADE, HCD, and HCD + SADE). If compared to the HCD group, SADE oral administration (300 mg/kg per day during 4 weeks) in HCD + SADE group showed on day 120 a significant decrease in body weight (−34%), blood glucose (−47.85%), serum levels of total cholesterol (−54.92%), LDL cholesterol (−60%), triglycerides (−48.03%), and of the levels of hepatic enzymes: ASAT (−66.28%) and ALAT (−31.87%). Oral administration of SADE restored the relative liver weight and adiposity index and significantly limited HCD-induced hepatic injury in P. obesus. SADE seems to have promising in vivo anti-obesity and anti-dyslipidemic effects.

Sanghuangporus sanghuang Mycelium Prevents Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity through Regulating the MAPK/NF-κB, Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1, TLR4/PI3K/Akt, and CaMKKβ/LKB1/AMPK Pathways and Suppressing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Liver damage induced by paracetamol overdose is the main cause of acute liver failure worldwide. In order to study the hepatoprotective effect of Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelium (SS) on paracetamol-induced liver injury, SS was administered orally every day for 6 days in mice before paracetamol treatment. SS decreased serum aminotransferase activities and the lipid profiles, protecting against paracetamol hepatotoxicity in mice. Furthermore, SS inhibited the lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde (MDA), hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), and the histopathological changes in the liver and decreased inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines in paracetamol-induced acute liver failure. Moreover, SS improved the levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase in the liver. Significantly, SS diminished mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) axis, as well as upregulated the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway, in paracetamol-induced mice. SS mainly inhibited the phosphorylation of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1), Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein expression. Furthermore, the protective effects of SS on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity were abolished by compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. In summary, we provide novel molecular evidence that SS protects liver cells from paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.

Rumex crispus and Cordyceps militaris Mixture Ameliorates Production of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Induced by Lipopolysaccharide in C57BL/6 Mice Splenocytes

Rumex crispus (Rc) and Cordyceps militaris (Cm) mixture (Rc-Cm; AST2017-01) ameliorated production of proinflammatory cytokines, inflammation-related genes, and nitric oxide (NO) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse splenocytes. Rc-Cm (6:4) and Taemyeongcheong (commercial healthy drink containing Rc-Cm) were co-administered along with LPS. Rc-Cm inhibited production of tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in LPS-induced splenocytes. However, levels of inflammatory cytokines were elevated in the absence of LPS treatment. Rc-Cm significantly suppressed mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and the inflammation-related genes inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), as well as NO production upon LPS co-treatment. Whereas Rc-Cm increased mRNA expression of IL-1β, and IL-6, but did not up-regulate expression of iNOS and COX-2, or increase NO production without LPS co-treatment. Therefore, treatment of Rc-Cm to LPS-induced splenocytes ameliorated induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, inflammation-related genes, and NO production. In the absence of LPS, Rc-Cm treatment up-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines but did not alter expression of the inflammation-related genes iNOS and COX-2 or NO production. These results indicate that the natural phytochemicals chrysophanol and cordycepin in Rc-Cm promote anti-inflammatory activities and immune cell responses.

Salicornia: evaluating the halophytic extremophile as a food and a pharmaceutical candidate

Food insecurity is a major issue in current scenario where a large section of mankind is at risk of insufficient diet. As food productivity has its limits, the prospecting of unutilized or underutilized flora as food candidates is collectively recognized as a sustainable option. In the past decade, a number of obscure plants have been identified to be rich in dietary components and deemed fit for integration into the food platter. This review discusses a candidate Salicornia, belonging to family Amaranthaceae. This halophyte has a broad geographical distribution, and phytochemical profiling has indicated its food relevance. An array of functional nutrients as fibers, polyphenols, and flavonoids have been detected in Salicornia. Though high salt, oxalate and saponin content in the plants are anti-nutrients, they can be removed to justify usage of Salicornia as a ‘sea vegetable’. Apart from culinary relevance, medicinal attributes like immunomodulatory, lipid-lowering, antiproliferative, osteoprotective, and hypoglycemic render this lesser-known marsh plant significant for phytochemical studies. This appraisal is expected to be useful towards further research and popularization of this extremophile halophyte.