Zinc-glutathione in Chinese Baijiu prevents alcohol-associated liver injury

Yinrui Feng; Wenrui Liu; Te Ba; Zhenghui Luo; Yuan Ma; Guotao Tang; Y James Kang

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13722

Zinc-glutathione in Chinese Baijiu prevents alcohol-associated liver injury

Heliyon. 2023 Feb 13;9(2):e13722. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13722. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Yinrui Feng¹, Wenrui Liu¹, Te Ba¹, Zhenghui Luo¹, Yuan Ma¹, Guotao Tang¹, Y James Kang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Sichuan University West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China.
² Tennessee Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA.

Abstract

Zinc depletion is associated with alcohol-associated liver injury. We tested the hypothesis that increasing zinc availability along with alcohol consumption prevents alcohol-associated liver injury. Zinc-glutathione (ZnGSH) was synthesized and directly added to Chinese Baijiu. Mice were administered a single gastric dose of 6 g/kg ethanol in Chinese Baijiu with or without ZnGSH. ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu did not change the likeness of the drinkers but significantly reduced the recovery time from drunkenness along with elimination of high-dose mortality. ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu decreased serum AST and ALT, suppressed steatosis and necrosis, and increased zinc and GSH concentrations in the liver. It also increased alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the liver, stomach, and intestine and reduced acetaldehyde in the liver. Thus, ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu prevents alcohol-associated liver injury by increasing alcohol metabolism timely with alcohol consumption, providing an alternative approach to the management of alcohol-associated drinking.

Keywords: Alcohol; Alcohol metabolism; Alcoholism; Chinese Baijiu; Liver injury; Zinc-glutathione.