title: New aspects on the hepatoprotective potential associated with the antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory activities of Vernonia condensata Baker.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vernonia condensata Baker (Asteraceae) is traditionally used in South American Countries as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hepatoprotective.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the in vivo hepatoprotective and antioxidant, and the in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of the ethyl acetate partition (EAP) from the ethanolic extract of this medicinal plant leaves.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the in vivo hepatoprotective activity, rats were pretreated orally for seven days with vehicle, silymarin 100mg/kg or EAP 50, 100 and 200mg/kg. Then, acetaminophen 3g/kg was also orally administrated. Animals were euthanatized 24h after the damage inducement. The levels of the serum enzymes ALT, AST and ALP were determined, as well as the triglycerides, total cholesterol and fractions. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by TBARS assay and by the measurement of glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the rats liver tissue. The in vitro anti-inflammatory assay using Raw 264.7 cell line induced by lipopolysaccharide was conducted to verify EAP ability to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EAP was able to inhibit all the acute biochemical alterations caused by acetaminophen overdose. EAP inhibited malondialdehyde formation, maintained the catalase and increased the glutathione reductase activities. Also, EAP decreased NO, IL-6 and TNF-α levels at concentrations from 10 to 20µg/mL. 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid was isolated and identified as the major compound in EAP. Apigenin, luteolin, chlorogenic acid were also identified. EAP anti-inflammatory action may be due to its antioxidant activity or its capacity to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results strongly suggested that V. condensata may be useful as a possible therapy against liver damage.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jucélia Barbosa da
authors.initials: JBD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata de Freitas
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vívian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tomasco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nícolas de Castro Campos
authors.initials: NCC
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Glycoconjugate Analysis Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: óDepartment of Morphology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus Nehrer
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle Maria de Oliveira
authors.initials: DMO
authors.lastname: Aragão
authors.affiliation: Glycoconjugate Analysis Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jair Adriano Kopke de
authors.initials: JAK
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Bioactivity Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036 900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Silvana
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: óDepartment of Morphology, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Christina Nogueira Marques
authors.initials: MCNM
authors.lastname: Castañon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antônia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Products, Department of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil. Electronic address: elita.scio@ufjf.edu.br.
authors.forename: Elita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scio
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D062787:Drug Overdose; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology; D035741:Vernonia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012838:Silymarin; D000082:Acetaminophen
keywords: 1,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid (PubChem CID: 6474640); 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid; Anti-inflammatory; Antioxidant; Apigenin (PubChem CID: 5280443); Chlorogenic Acid (PubChem CID: 1794427); Ethyl Acetate (PubChem CID: 8857); Hepatoprotective; Luteolin (PubChem CID: 5280445); Vernonia condensate