Comparative study on hepatoprotection of pine nut (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) polysaccharide against different types of chemical-induced liver injury models in vivo.

A novel polysaccharide (PNP80b-2) was obtained from Pinus koraiensis pine nut, which has been proved to possess good hepatoprotective effects in vitro. This study comprehensively investigated its hepatoprotective activities against different types of chemical-induced liver injury in vivo. Carbon tetrachloride, alcohol and acetaminophen were used as hepatic toxicants to establish chemical pollutant-induced liver injury (CILI) model, alcohol induced-liver injury (AILI) model and drug-induced liver injury (DILI) model, respectively. The results showed that PNP80b-2 prevented elevation of biomarkers for liver injury in each model, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin (TBIL). The expression of cytochrome P450 in damaged hepatocytes was also downregulated. Additionally, PNP80b-2 enhanced hepatic antioxidant capacity through upregulating the expression of NRF2 and HO-1, thereby increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities and decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The uncontrolled production of inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in CILI, AILI and DILI models was also suppressed by PNP80b-2. By contrast, PNP80b-2 exerted the strongest hepatoprotection against AILI model, through improving hepatic antioxidant capacity via NRF2/ARE pathway and regulating inflammation response. Thus, PNP80b-2 is a promising functional food to prevent AILI.