Hamamelitannin from Hamamelis virginiana Attenuates Ethanol-Induced Oxidative and Inflammatory Responses in Danio rerio Larvae.

Alcoholic liver disorder (ALD) is one of the most prevalent hepatic ailments worldwide, with oxidative stress and inflammation playing a vital role in disease progression. The current study intended to assess the anti-inflammatory nature of Hamamelitannin (HAM), a gallotannin from Hamamelis virginiana barks, which was predicted to possess anti-inflammatory properties based on in-silico docking analysis. To further explore its effects, we examined the therapeutic effect of HAM against ethanol-mediated inflammation using an in-vivo zebrafish larvae model. Ethanol exposure led to liver inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and hepatocyte apoptosis. However, our findings demonstrated that co-treatment with HAM significantly normalized the larvae's antioxidant enzymes such as SOD (35.81 U/mg protein), CAT (33.83 μ mol/mg protein) and GPx (33.35 U/mg Protein), nitric oxide (NO), lipid accumulation, reactive oxygen species (19.9%), cell death (15.43%), LPO (17.4%), and macrophage infiltration. A gene expression analysis was performed to gain deeper insights into ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity and the protective role of HAM. The results revealed that ethanol exposure led to the upregulation of Inflammation-inducing markers, including iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, and IL-1β. In contrast, HAM co-treatment mitigated hepatocyte damage by effectively downregulating these inflammatory mediators. Collectively, these findings suggest that HAM exhibits promising hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, indicating its therapeutic potential for ALD and other inflammation-driven ailments.