Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a healthy and nutritionally important food item. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of 75% ethanol extracts from tartary buckwheat (EEB) against ethanol- and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced liver damage. EEB were administered to C57BL/6 mice (ethanol induction) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (CCl(4) induction) for 4 and 8 consecutive weeks, respectively. The major active compounds, rutin and quercetin, were also administered to ethanol- and CCl(4)-induced animals. EEB inhibited increase in serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in the ethanol- and CCl(4)-induced animals; similar effects were found after rutin and quercetin administration. Moreover, EEB elevated the antioxidant enzyme activities, including those of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and inhibited the levels of hepatic inflammation in the ethanol- and CCl(4)-treated animals. This study suggests that EEB exerts hepatoprotection via promoting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties against oxidative liver damage.

Intestinal mucositis is a commonly encountered toxic side effect in patients undergoing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that probiotics enable improving chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis, but the beneficial effects of probiotics differ depending on the strain. Therefore, in the present studies we suggest that S. thermophilus ST4 separated from raw milk may assess mucoprotective activity in 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis. In our causal-comparative study design, fifteen mice were randomized assigned into three groups (n = 5/each group): control group, 5-FU group and 5-FU+S. thermophilus ST4 group. The control group was orally administrated saline only, and the 5-FU group was followed by intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU for 3 days after 10-day saline administration, and the 5-FU+S. thermophilus ST4 group was intragastrically subjected for S. thermophilus ST4 once per day during the whole experiment, starting from the first day of the experiment, followed by 5-FU intraperitoneal injection for 3 days after 10-day S. thermophilus ST4 pretreatment. Diarrhea score, pro-inflammatory cytokines serum levels, intestinal histopathology and short chain fatty acid were assessed. Here, we demonstrated the beneficial effects of S. thermophilus ST4 derived from raw milk against 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis, including body weight reduction, appetite loss and diarrhea. Intrinsically, S. thermophilus ST4 effectively maintained epithelium structure in small intestines and colons as well as reduced the intestinal inflammation. Besides, S. thermophilus ST4 significantly increased the expression of acetic acid, reinforcing the muco-protective effects. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that S. thermophilus ST4 supplementation ameliorates 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis. This suggests probiotic may serve as an alternative therapeutic strategy for the prevention or management of 5-FU-induced mucositis in the future.

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a highly reactive dicarbonyl aldehyde and a major precursor of advanced glycation end products that result in oxidative stress. Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther (WGP) is a herbal medicine of Taiwan with the hepatoprotective property. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of the water extract of WGP on MG-induced liver damage in a rat model. The results showed that WGP lowered the total cholesterol level and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. WGP could help normalize the MG level. The amelioration of inflammatory factors such as transformation growth factor-β1 was observed in the WGP treatment group. In another animal model, a high-fructose diet (HFD) was used to induce intestinal dysfunction in C57BL/6 mice. The results indicated that the HFD induction resulted in intestinal dysbiosis, including inflammation, microflora imbalances, and reductions in tight-junction proteins. However, both WGP and its active compound gallic acid could improve intestine function. According to the above, WGP can improve hyperlipidemia in the liver, inhibit inflammatory cytokine production, and regulate intestinal flora in mice, as well as enhance the intestinal barrier. These findings provide a basis for the development of health products.

Graptopetalum paraguayense was shown to exhibit antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activities in a recent study. In this work, fractions of the G. paraguayense aqueous solution were extracted using n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EF) and n-butanol, and its antioxidative and anti-glycative activities were evaluated. The EF extract exhibited the highest antioxidative activity, potently inhibited the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and reduced glycation-induced protein oxidation. Additionally, the EF extract protected Hep G2 cells against AGE-induced DNA damage. Five major components were isolated and identified in the EF fraction by semi-preparative highperformance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance: gallic acid, isoquercitrin-6-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate), astragalin-6-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate), isoquercitrin-2-acetyl-6-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate) and astragalin-2-acetyl-6-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate). G. paraguayense exhibited antioxidant and antiglycation activities, likely because of the presence of gallic acid. The findings indicate the potential for using G. paraguayense for development of novel treatments for diabetes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSHerbal treatments for hyperlipidemia are relatively cheap and locally available. The results indicated that the extracts of Graptopetalum paraguayense may be developed as functional foods for antidiabetic treatment mediated by attenuations of advanced glycation end product oxidation.