Abstract
Plant-based whole foods provide thousands of bioactive metabolites to the human diet that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. β-Caryophyllene (CAR) is a common constituent of the essential oil of numerous plants, vegetables, fruits and medicinal herbs, and has been used as a flavouring agent since the 1930 s. Here, we report the antioxidant activity of CAR, its protective effect on liver fibrosis and its inhibitory capacity on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. CAR was tested for the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and as a free radical scavenger. CAR had higher inhibitory capacity on lipid peroxidation than probucol, α-humulene and α-tocopherol. Also, CAR showed high scavenging activities against hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion. The activity of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme that actively participates in fibrogenesis, was significantly inhibited by CAR. Carbon tetrachloride-treated rats received CAR at 2, 20 and 200 mg/kg. CAR significantly improved liver structure, and reduced fibrosis and the expression of Col1a1, Tgfb1 and Timp1 genes. Oxidative stress was used to establish a model of HSC activation with overproduction of extracellular matrix proteins. CAR (1 and 10 μm) increased cell viability and significantly reduced the expression of fibrotic marker genes. CAR, a sesquiterpene present in numerous plants and foods, is as a natural antioxidant that reduces carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver fibrosis and inhibits hepatic cell activation.
Publication types
- Comparative Study
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
- Animals
- Antioxidants / administration & dosage
- Antioxidants / metabolism
- Antioxidants / pharmacology
- Antioxidants / therapeutic use*
- Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / chemistry
- Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase / metabolism
- Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / metabolism
- Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / pathology
- Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / prevention & control*
- Cell Line
- Cell Survival / drug effects
- Dietary Supplements*
- Female
- Flavoring Agents / administration & dosage
- Flavoring Agents / metabolism
- Flavoring Agents / therapeutic use
- Free Radical Scavengers / administration & dosage
- Free Radical Scavengers / metabolism
- Free Radical Scavengers / therapeutic use
- Hepatic Stellate Cells / drug effects
- Hepatic Stellate Cells / enzymology
- Hepatic Stellate Cells / metabolism*
- Lipid Peroxidation / drug effects
- Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
- Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / metabolism
- Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
- Liver / drug effects
- Liver / metabolism*
- Liver / pathology
- Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes
- Oxidative Stress / drug effects
- Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
- Probucol / pharmacology
- Probucol / therapeutic use
- Random Allocation
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Sesquiterpenes / administration & dosage
- Sesquiterpenes / metabolism
- Sesquiterpenes / therapeutic use*
- alpha-Tocopherol / metabolism
- alpha-Tocopherol / therapeutic use
Substances
- Antioxidants
- Flavoring Agents
- Free Radical Scavengers
- Lipoxygenase Inhibitors
- Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes
- Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
- Sesquiterpenes
- humulene
- caryophyllene
- Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase
- alpha-Tocopherol
- Probucol