Laboratory of Preclinical Research of Natural Products, Post-Graduate Program in Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapeutics in Basic Attention, Paranaense University, Umuarama, PR, Brazil.
Nursing Department, Paranaense University, Francisco Beltrão, PR, Brazil.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 May 23;254:112729. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112729. Epub 2020 Mar 4.
Baccharis trimera (Less.) DC is a perennial subshrub, popularly known as "carqueja," that belongs to the Asteraceae family. Ethnobotanical studies indicate that this species is used for the treatment of diabetes and digestive and liver diseases. However, studies that sought to validate its popular use were conducted using ethanolic extracts of the plant, which does not reflect the ethnomedicinal use of this species in humans.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by triglyceride accumulation in the liver that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Because of the severity of this disease, less toxic and more effective therapeutic agents need to be developed. B. trimera may be a promising therapeutic alternative, but its activity against multiple risk factors for liver disease (e.g., smoking, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus) has not been studied. The present study investigated the effects of an ethnomedicinal form of a B. trimera preparation in a rat model of NAFLD that is associated with multiple risk factors.
Phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic soluble fraction of B. trimera extract was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes in male Wistar rats. The rats received a 0.5% cholesterol-enriched diet and were exposed to cigarette smoke (9 cigarettes/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks). In the last 2 weeks, the animals were orally treated with vehicle (negative control group), B. trimera extract (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg), or insulin + simvastatin. One group of rats that was not exposed to these risk factors was also evaluated. Blood was collected for glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) analysis. The liver and feces were collected for lipid quantification. The liver was additionally processed for histopathological analysis.
The model successfully induced NAFLD and increased levels of glucose, AST, and ALT in the negative control group. Treatment with the B. trimera extract (30 and 100 mg/kg) and insulin + simvastatin decreased hepatic and fecal lipids. In contrast to insulin + simvastatin treatment, all three doses of B. trimera effectively reduced AST and ALT levels.
B. trimera may be promising as a hepatoprotective agent against hepatic lesions that are caused by multiple risk factors.
Baccharis trimera（Less.）DC 是一种多年生亚灌木，俗称“carqueja”，属于菊科。民族植物学研究表明，该物种用于治疗糖尿病以及消化和肝脏疾病。然而，为了验证其流行用途而进行的研究使用的是该植物的乙醇提取物，这并没有反映出该物种在人类中的民族医学用途。
非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）的特征是肝脏中甘油三酯的积累，这种疾病可能进展为肝硬化和肝细胞癌。由于这种疾病的严重性，需要开发毒性更小、更有效的治疗药物。Baccharis trimera 可能是一种很有前途的治疗选择，但尚未研究其对多种肝脏疾病风险因素（例如，吸烟，血脂异常和糖尿病）的活性。本研究在与多种风险因素相关的 NAFLD 大鼠模型中研究了一种民族医学形式的 B. trimera 制剂的作用。
使用超高效液相色谱与高分辨率质谱联用对 Baccharis trimera 提取物的乙醇可溶性部分进行植物化学分析。链脲佐菌素用于诱导雄性 Wistar 大鼠糖尿病。大鼠接受 0.5％胆固醇富集饮食，并暴露于香烟烟雾（每天 9 支香烟，每周 5 天，持续 4 周）。在最后 2 周，动物通过口服给予载体（阴性对照组），B. trimera 提取物（30、100 和 300mg/kg）或胰岛素+辛伐他汀进行治疗。还评估了一组未暴露于这些风险因素的大鼠。收集血液以进行葡萄糖，丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）分析。收集肝脏和粪便以进行脂质定量。肝脏还进行了组织病理学分析。
该模型成功诱导了 NAFLD，并使阴性对照组的血糖，AST 和 ALT 水平升高。B. trimera 提取物（30 和 100mg/kg）和胰岛素+辛伐他汀的治疗降低了肝脏和粪便中的脂质。与胰岛素+辛伐他汀治疗相比，B. trimera 的所有三种剂量均有效降低了 AST 和 ALT 水平。
Baccharis trimera 可能是一种有前途的肝保护剂，可预防由多种风险因素引起的肝损伤。
