Tea is globally the second most consumed beverage after
water, and its pharmacological properties are extensively documented. It has
potent neuroprotective, free radical scavenging, antioxidative, antioncogenic,
hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, antiviral, and chemopreventive properties.
This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of polyphenols extracted
from Shoumei, a slightly fermented white tea (Camellia sinensis). HPLC analysis
identified gallic acid, catechin, hyperoside, and sulfuretin as the main
phenolic constituents. In an in vitro model, Shoumei polyphenols (SPs)
attenuated H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in human normal hepatic L-02 cells. In
an in vivo model of CCl₄-induced liver injury in mice, SPs effectively reduced
the liver index and ameliorated histopathological damage. Biochemical analyses
demonstrated that SPs significantly decreased serum levels of aspartate
aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase
(ALP), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN),
nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12
(IL-12), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ).
Conversely, SPs increased serum levels of albumin (ALB), superoxide dismutase
(SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). At the molecular
level, qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that SPs up-regulated the
mRNA and protein expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS),
endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), manganese-SOD (Mn-SOD),
copper/zinc-SOD (Cu/Zn-SOD), CAT, and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha
(IκB-α), while down-regulating the expression of inducible nitric oxide
synthase (iNOS) and NF-κB p65. The preventive effect of SPs against
CCl₄-induced liver injury was comparable to that of silymarin. These results
indicate that the identified polyphenols, primarily through their antioxidant
capacity, mediate significant hepatoprotection, suggesting Shoumei polyphenols
are high-quality natural agents for liver protection.
Author(s) Details
Ruokun Yi
Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing
University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering
Research Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education,
Chongqing 400067, China and Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and
Development of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing
400067, China.
Yuxuan Wei
Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 Gansu,
China.
Fang Tan
Department of Public Health, Our Lady of Fatima University, Valenzuela 838,
Philippines.
Jianfei Mu
Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing
University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering
Research Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education,
Chongqing 400067, China and Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and
Development of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing
400067, China.
Xingyao Long
Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing
University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering
Research Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing
400067, China, Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and Development of
Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China and
Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Cha University, Seongnam 13488,
Republic of Korea.
Yanni Pan
Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing
University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering
Research Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education,
Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and
Development of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing
400067, China and Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Cha University,
Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea.
Weiwei Liu
School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University,
Chongqing 400016, China.
Xin Zhao
Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Center for Functional Food, Chongqing
University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China, Chongqing Engineering Research
Center of Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067,
China and Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Research and Development of
Functional Food, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, China.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-81-998509-0-3/CH3
