Turmeric extract (Curcuma longa L.) regulates hepatic toxicity in a single ethanol binge rat model

Hwa-Young Lee; Geum-Hwa Lee; The-Hiep Hoang; Seung Wook Kim; Choon Gil Kang; Jae Hyeok Jo; Myoung Ja Chung; Kyunghyun Min; Han-Jung Chae

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10737

Turmeric extract (Curcuma longa L.) regulates hepatic toxicity in a single ethanol binge rat model

Heliyon. 2022 Sep 22;8(9):e10737. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10737. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Authors

Hwa-Young Lee¹, Geum-Hwa Lee¹, The-Hiep Hoang¹, Seung Wook Kim², Choon Gil Kang², Jae Hyeok Jo², Myoung Ja Chung³, Kyunghyun Min⁴, Han-Jung Chae^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute & Non-Clinical Evaluation Center, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, South Korea.
² Ottogi Research Center, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, 14060, South Korea.
³ Department of Pathology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, South Korea.
⁴ School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Korea Unification, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, South Korea.

Abstract

Hepatic alcohol clearance is a key factor to overcome alcohol hangovers, and over the period, alcohol hangovers may lead to inflammation and oxidative stress. Natural food products with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects might contribute to hepatic alcohol clearance, a hypothesis in this study. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of turmeric (Curcuma longa L., Zingiberaceae) is an herbal product having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, on alcohol metabolism using binge alcohol drinking rat model. In vivo investigations revealed that pretreatment with turmeric extract enhanced alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities upon binge ethanol (3 g/kg). Additionally, pretreatment with turmeric extract regulated CYP2E1 activity and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Bax, Bcl-2, and inflammatory mediators like IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Moreover, turmeric extract upregulated superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in liver tissues. Together, these observations shed light on the potential beneficial effects of turmeric extract against acute liver toxicity. The results offer an alternative natural functional food product, turmeric extract, to prevent the negative implications of binge drinking.

Keywords: Alcohol; Binge drinking; Liver damage; Oxidative stress; Turmeric extract.