Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) Protects Hepatocytes against Alcohol-Induced Damage through Nrf2 Activation

Sungwha Hong; Younghwa Kim; Jeehye Sung; Hana Lee; Huijin Heo; Heon Sang Jeong; Junsoo Lee

doi:10.1155/2020/6684331

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) Protects Hepatocytes against Alcohol-Induced Damage through Nrf2 Activation

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Dec 24:2020:6684331. doi: 10.1155/2020/6684331. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Sungwha Hong¹, Younghwa Kim², Jeehye Sung³, Hana Lee¹, Huijin Heo¹, Heon Sang Jeong¹, Junsoo Lee¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea.
² School of Food Biotechnology and Nutrition, Kyungsung University, Busan 48434, Republic of Korea.
³ Food Science and Biotechnology, Andong National University, Andong, Gyeongbuk 36729, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the cytoprotective activity of jujube water extract (JWE) against alcohol-induced oxidative stress via the activation of the Nrf2 pathway in HepG2 cells. JWE had various phenolic compounds, and the vanillic acid content was the highest in the extract. To determine the cytoprotective effect of JWE against alcohol-induced damage, hepatocytes were treated with JWE and 3% ethanol. JWE (100 μg/mL) markedly increased cell viability by approximately 100% in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, JWE attenuated the production of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, aspartate, and alanine aminotransferase and the depletion of glutathione. Moreover, JWE enhanced the expression of antioxidant defense enzymes including heme oxygenase-1, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1, and γ-glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic against alcohol-induced oxidative damage in hepatocytes via the activation of Nrf2. Taken together, JWE possesses the protective effect against alcohol-induced oxidative injury in hepatocytes through the upregulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Therefore, jujube fruit might have the potential to improve alcohol-related liver problems.