Camellia Oleifera Seed Extract Mildly Ameliorates Carbon Tetrachloride‐Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats by Suppressing Inflammation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a hot‐water extract of defatted Camellia oleifera seeds (CSE) in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced liver damage in rats. Wistar rats were separated into four groups including the normal (N) and CCl4 control (C) groups, which are fed a control diet, and the CCL (low‐dose CSE) and CCH (high‐dose CSE) groups, which are fed with a control diet plus different amount of CSE for an 8‐week experimental period. Liver injury in the C, CCL, and CCH groups was induced by injecting CCl4 (i.p.) twice a week from the 5th week to the end of the study. In CCl4‐treated rats, the alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration significantly increased compared to the normal group. Lower antioxidative enzyme activities and higher proinflammatory cytokines, transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) and hydroxyproline concentrations in the liver were also found in the CCl4‐treated group compared to the normal group. In contrast, the administration of CSE alleviated the biochemical and histopathological changes including inflammation, liver cell damage, and fibrosis caused by CCl4 in rats. Our results indicated that CSE exhibited hepatoprotective effects in CCl4‐induced liver hepatotoxicity through alleviating hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in rats. Practical Application Camellia oleifera are widely used for edible oil production while the defatted seeds pomace is often discarded. We found that extract of C. oleifera pomace containing phenolic compounds, saponins, and polysaccharides showed protective effects chemical‐driven liver damage and, therefore, may be used in further studies and developing functional foods.

Hepatoprotective homoisoflavonoids from the fruits of Cucumis bisexualis

“…The liver is rich in diverse enzymes, AST and ALT are sensitive and widely used of these liver enzymes (Ko, Yeh, Huang, & Yang, 2019). The liver cells will release the enzymes into the blood and raise the enzyme levels in the blood and signaling the liver damage if the liver is injured (Nyblom, Berggren, Balldin, & Olsson, 2004).…”

Total Flavonoids from Camellia oleifera Alleviated Mycoplasma pneumoniae-Induced Lung Injury via Inhibition of the TLR2-Mediated NF-κB and MAPK Pathways

“…Pharmacological studies have shown that the chemical constituents from the residues of C. oleifera seeds possess a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammation, antioxidation, antitumor, antibacterial, and so on [16,26]. Previous reports had reported that the hot-water extract of defatted C. oleifera seeds exerted significant anti-inflammatory effects, providing mild alleviation of hepatic inflammation in CCl 4 -induced liver hepatotoxicity [29]. Kaempferol glycosides, identified as the primary anti-inflammatory flavonoids in C. oleifera defatted seeds, have exhibited pronounced anti-inflammatory activity, corroborating our findings [20,21].…”

“…Prior research indicated that C. oleifera defatted seed extracts exhibited notable antiinflammatory activities in vivo, mitigating carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats [29,30]. Furthermore, the flavonoids present in the residues of C. oleifera defatted seeds inhibited NO and proinflammatory cytokine production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, chiefly by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway [20,21].…”

Role of Lifestyle Changes and Natural Herbs in the Management of Hepatic Health

“…Recently, there has been growing interest in the use of Camellia oleifera seeds for the prevention of liver diseases. The defatted seeds of C. oleifera possess hepatoprotective properties against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, as evidenced by the mitigation of hepatitis and fibrosis, reduction in body fat accumulation and liver steatosis, and regulation of adipokine levels 46 . Furthermore, the impact of C. oleifera seeds on the interaction between the gut and the liver has been reported for the first time.…”