Role of Metabolic Activation in Elemicin-Induced Cellular Toxicity.

Elemicin, an alkenylbenzene constituent of natural oils of several plant species, is widely distributed in food, dietary supplements, and medicinal plants. 1'-Hydroxylation is known to cause metabolic activation of alkenylbenzenes leading to their potential toxicity. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between elemicin metabolism and its toxicity through comparing the metabolic maps between elemicin and 1'-hydroxyelemicin. Elemicin was transformed into a reactive metabolite of 1'-hydroxyelemicin, which was subsequently conjugated with cysteine (Cys) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Administration of NAC could significantly ameliorate the elemicin- and 1'-hydroxyelemicin-induced cytotoxicity of HepG2 cells, while depletion of Cys with diethyl maleate (DEM) increased cytotoxicity. Recombinant human CYP screening and CYP inhibition experiments revealed that multiple CYPs, notably CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4, were responsible for the metabolic activation of elemicin. This study revealed that metabolic activation plays a critical role in elemicin cytotoxicity.

Metabolic Activation of Myristicin and Its Role in Cellular Toxicity.

Myristicin is widely distributed in spices and medicinal plants. The aim of this study was to explore the role of metabolic activation of myristicin in its potential toxicity through a metabolomic approach. The myristicin- N-acetylcysteine adduct was identified by comparing the metabolic maps of myristicin and 1'-hydroxymyristicin. The supplement of N-acetylcysteine could protect against the cytotoxicity of myristicin and 1'-hydroxymyristicin in primary mouse hepatocytes. When the depletion of intracellular N-acetylcysteine was pretreated with diethyl maleate in hepatocytes, the cytotoxicity induced by myristicin and 1'-hydroxymyristicin was deteriorated. It suggested that the N-acetylcysteine adduct resulting from myristicin bioactivation was closely associated with myristicin toxicity. Screening of human recombinant cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and treatment with CYP inhibitors revealed that CYP1A1 was mainly involved in the formation of 1'-hydroxymyristicin. Collectively, this study provided a global view of myristicin metabolism and identified the N-acetylcysteine adduct resulting from myristicin bioactivation, which could be used for understanding the mechanism of myristicin toxicity.

Methanol extract from the stem of Cotinus coggygria Scop., and its major bioactive phytochemical constituent myricetin modulate pyrogallol-induced DNA damage and liver injury.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of the methanol extract of Cotinus coggygria Scop. in rats exposed to the hepatotoxic compound pyrogallol. Assessed with the alkaline version of the comet assay, 1000 and 2000mg/kg body weight (bw) of the extract showed a low level of genotoxicity, while 500mg/kg bw of the extract showed no genotoxic potential. Quantitative HPLC analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the methanol extract of C. coggygria showed that myricetin was a major component. To test the hepatoprotective effect, a non-genotoxic dose of the C. coggygria extract and an equivalent amount of synthetic myricetin, as present in the extract, were applied either 2 or 12h prior to administration of 100mg/kg bw of pyrogallol. The extract and myricetin promoted restoration of hepatic function by significantly reducing pyrogallol-induced elevation in the serum enzymes AST, ALT, ALP and in total bilirubin. As measured by the decrease in total score and tail moment, the DNA damage in liver was also reduced by the extract and by myricetin. Our results suggest that pro-surviving Akt activity and STAT3 protein expression play important roles in decreasing DNA damage and in mediating hepatic protection by the extract. These results suggest that myricetin, as a major component in the extract, is responsible for the antigenotoxic and hepatoprotective properties of the methanol extract of C. coggygria against pyrogallol-induced toxicity.

Extract of the plant Cotinus coggygria Scop. attenuates pyrogallol-induced hepatic oxidative stress in Wistar rats.

To examine the protective potential of the Cotinus coggygria Scop. methanol extract, Wistar rats were treated with the hepatotoxic compound pyrogallol, which possesses a potent ability to generate free radicals and induce oxidative stress. The ability of the extract to counteract the oxidative stress was examined in rats that were injected with the extract intraperitoneally (500 mg·(kg body weight)(-1)) either 2 or 12 h before the pyrogallol treatment. The extract possesses a reducing activity in vitro and an ability to chelate the ferrous ion both in vivo and in vitro. Application of the extract prior to pyrogallol treatment led to a decrease in the levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuation of DNA damage, as well as increased Akt activity and inhibition of NF-κB protein expression. Treatment with the extract 12 h prior to pyrogallol administration was more effective in suppressing pyrogallol-induced oxidative damage than the 2 h pretreatment. Extract administration promoted an increase in acute phase reactants haptoglobin and α(2)-macroglobulin that was short of a full-fledged acute phase response. Administration of the extract considerably improved the markers of oxidative stress, thus revealing a potential hepatoprotective activity. Our results suggest that Akt activation, NF-κB inhibition, and induction of the acute phase play important roles in mediating hepatic protection by the extract. The greater effectiveness of the 12 h pretreatment with extract points to the important role that preconditioning assumes in improving resistance to subsequent exposure to oxidative stress.

Pyrogallol-mediated toxicity and natural antioxidants: triumphs and pitfalls of preclinical findings and their translational limitations.

Pyrogallol, a potent anti-psoriatic drug, produces toxicity due to its ability to generate free radicals, besides its beneficial effects. Oxidative stress is implicated in pyrogallol-mediated toxicity in general and hepatotoxicity in particular. Naturally occurring antioxidants including, resveratrol and silymarin have been proposed as potential supplements to counteract pyrogallol-mediated toxicity, without reducing its efficacy. Due to increase in the popularity of natural antioxidants in combating pyrogallol-mediated toxicity, a literature-based survey was performed to assess their role in experimental studies and possible implications in real life situations. Although preclinical studies revealed the boons of naturally occurring antioxidants in attenuating/abolishing the undesirable effects of pyrogallol exposure, limited studies have been conducted to evaluate their role in clinics. In this review, an update on the recent development in assessing the potential of natural antioxidants in pyrogallol-mediated toxicity in preclinical interventions, triumphs and pitfalls of such investigations, their translational challenges and future possibilities are discussed.

The oxygen radical generator pyrogallol impairs cardiomyocyte contractile function via a superoxide and p38 MAP kinase-dependent pathway: protection by anisodamine and tetramethylpyrazine.

Oxygen-derived free radicals have been demonstrated to contribute to the pathogenesis of myocardial dysfunction, although the underlying mechanism remains not fully understood. This study was designed to examine the role of the superoxide generator pyrogallol on cardiac contractile function and possible intervention with herbal medicines anisodamine and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on pyrogallol-induced cardiac contractile response. Adult rat ventricular myocytes were isolated and stimulated to contract at 0.5 Hz. Mechanical properties were evaluated using an IonOptix system including peak shortening (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), time-to-90% relengthening (TR(90)), and maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening (+/-dL/dt). A 10-min exposure of pyrogallol (0 to 10(-2) M) did not affect cardiac contractile mechanics. However, longer duration of pyrogallol exposure (1, 3, and 6 h) significantly shortened resting cell length, reduced PS and +/-dL/dt, and prolonged TPS and TR90 in time- and concentration-dependent manners. The pyrogallol (10(-4) M with 6-h incubation)-induced mechanical defects were prevented by the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor SB203580 (1 microM) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, 500 U/mL) with the exception that pyrogallol-induced PS depression was unaffected by SOD. Interestingly, incubation of herbal antioxidants anisodamine (10(-7) M) and TMP (10(-7) M) effectively attenuated the pyrogallol-induced cardiac mechanical defects with the exception of PS unaffected by TMP. Our data demonstrate a direct inhibitory effect of pyrogallol on cardiac contraction, probably in a superoxide- and p38 MAP kinase-dependent manner. The antioxidant medicines anisodamine and TMP may be useful in the treatment of oxygen free radical-induced myocardial dysfunction.

A water extract of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) rescues PC12 cell death caused by pyrogallol or hypoxia/reoxygenation and attenuates hydrogen peroxide induced injury in PC12 cells.

A number of studies indicate that free radicals are involved in the neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The role of superoxide anion (O2*-) in neuronal cell injury induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) was examined in PC12 cells using pyrogallol (1,2,3-benzenetrior), a donor to release O2*-. Pyrogallol induced PC12 cell death at concentrations, which evidently increased intracellular O2*-, as assessed by O2*- sensitive fluorescent precursor hydroethidine (HEt). A water extract of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) (CLE), having O2*- scavenging activity rescued PC12 cells from pyrogallol-induced cell death. Hypoxia/reoxygenation injury of PC12 cells was also blocked by CLE. The present study was also conducted to examine the effect of CLE on H2O2 -induced toxicity in rat pheochromocytoma line PC12 by measuring cell lesion, level of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities. Following a 30 min exposure of the cells to H2O2 (150 microM), a marked decrease in cell survival, activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase as well as increased production of malondialdehyde (MDA) were found. Pretreatment of the cells with CLE (0.5-10 microg/ml) prior to H2O2 exposure significantly elevated the cell survival, antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased the level of MDA. The above-mentioned neuroprotective effects are also observed with tacrine (THA, 1 microM), suggesting that the neuroprotective effects of cholinesterase inhibitor might partly contribute to the clinical efficacy in AD treatment. Further understanding of the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of these radical scavengers reducing intracellular O2*- on neuronal cell death may lead to development of new therapeutic treatments for hypoxic/ischemic brain injury.

Toxicological efficacy of some indigenous dill compounds against the flesh fly, Parasarcophaga dux Thomson.

The effect of the LC50 of the three isolated compounds (apiol, myristicin and d-carvone) from dill, Anethum graveolus on growth and reproduction of Parasarcophaga dux showed that three compounds especially apiol caused significant reduction in the percentage of adults emergence and females fecundity. The temperature toxicity relation shape of the three compounds and five insect growth regulations (methoprene, hydroprene, teflubenzuron, chlorfluazuron and Precocene I) alone or in combination against P. dux was studied and discussed.

Pyrogallol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats: a model to evaluate antioxidant hepatoprotective agents.

Various hepatic disorders and hepatotoxic agents are associated with increased free radical generation. In the present study, the free radical generator pyrogallol (100 mg/kg i.p.) caused significant hepatic damage. The serum enzymes asparatate aminotransaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) increased to 357 +/- 30.7 IU/I and 147.8 +/- 28.4 IU/I, respectively in the pyrogallol-treated group compared with 208.4 +/- 4.1 IU/I and 84.5 +/- 19.5 IU/I, respectively in the control rats. Compared with control rats, the liver tissue in the pyrogallol-treated group showed an increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as glutathione (GSH). The infiltration of white blood cells into the liver tissue, as seen histologically, further substantiated liver damage. Pretreatment with a standard hepatoprotective drug (silymarin, 100 mg/kg i.p.) afforded significant protection against pyrogallol hepatotoxicity, as evidenced by amelioration of the raised serum markers of hepatic function, markers of oxidative stress and normal liver histology. Thus, pyrogallol-induced hepatotoxicity could be used as an appropriate model to evaluate hepatoprotective agents that have an antioxidant property.

Isolation, identification, and characterization of compounds from acer rubrum capable of oxidizing equine erythrocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To identify compounds in Acer rubrum that cause hemolysis or oxidation of equine erythrocytes and determine whether these toxins are found in other Acer spp. SAMPLE POPULATION: Equine erythrocytes. PROCEDURE: Washed erythrocytes were incubated with extracts and fractions of Acer spp that were separated by thin layer chromatography. Methemoglobin and hemolysis were measured spectrophotometrically. Compounds within Acer spp fractions associated with cell oxidation or hemolysis were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Erythrocytes incubated separately with either A. rubrum, A. saccharum, or A. saccharinum extracts had increased methemoglobin formation, compared with extract-free control samples. Two Acer spp fractions had toxic effects on erythrocytes in vitro. A major component of the Acer fraction that caused a significant amount of methemoglobin formation was identified as gallic acid. An amount of gallic acid equivalent to that found in A. rubrum extract significantly increased methemoglobin, compared with extract-free control erythrocytes, but caused less methemoglobin formation than A. rubrum extracts did. A potential co-oxidant, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-4H-pyran-4-one, was found in the A. rubrum extract and may have been responsible for increasing methemoglobin formation. A second A. rubrum fraction caused methemoglobin formation and significant hemolysis. A. saccharum and A. saccharinum extracts caused hemolysis but less than the A. rubrum extracts did. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Oxidants in A. rubrum are also found in A. saccharum and A. saccharinum, and the ingestion of A. saccharum and A. saccharinum poses a potential threat to horses.