The traditional ayurvedic medicine, Eugenia jambolana (Jamun fruit), decreases liver inflammation, injury and fibrosis during cholestasis.
BACKGROUND
Cholestasis is a common disease of the liver. Chronic cholestasis eventually leads to hepatic cirrhosis and fibrosis, and rodent chronic cholestasis models are used to study aspects of fibrosis and cirrhosis. Cholestasis-induced liver injury and fibrosis are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation. Few pharmacological therapies exist for treatment of cholestasis or cirrhosis, but it is known that humans with better nutritional intake are less likely to develop certain types of cirrhosis. Eugenia jambolana (Jamun) is a tropical berry fruit rich in antioxidant anthocyanin compounds.


OBJECTIVE
As anthocyanins decrease cellular lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, it was hypothesized that Jamun fruit extract (JFE) administration could protect against cholestatic liver injury and inflammation in mice.


METHODS
Starting 24 h after sham or bile-duct ligation (BDL) surgery, male C57Bl/6 mice were administered vehicle or JFE (100 mg/kg, po) for 10 days.


RESULTS
Mice that underwent BDL had elevated serum ALT levels, which were reduced to 60% by JFE treatment. Likewise, BDL caused hepatic inflammation, macrophage infiltration, fibrosis and necrosis, all of which were largely improved by JFE. Interestingly, hepatoprotection was observed in JFE-treated BDL mice, despite suppressed transporter expression and increased hepatic bile acid concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Jamun fruit phytochemicals decreased hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress, and protected against hepatocellular injury in mice. Jamun warrants further investigation as a potential antioxidant/anti-inflammatory therapy not only to treat cholestasis but also other liver diseases with an inflammatory component.
Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
Ajay C
AC
Donepudi
Lauren M
LM
Aleksunes
Maureen V
MV
Driscoll
Navindra P
NP
Seeram
Angela L
AL
Slitt
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000601:surgery; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D027842:Syzygium / Q000737:chemistry*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D000410:Alanine Transaminase