Gamma-oryzanol protects human liver cell (L02) from hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage through regulation of the MAPK/Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Gamma-oryzanol (Orz), a mixture of the ferulic acid ester of triterpene alcohols and phytosterols, was found abundantly in rice bran and rice bran oil which could be available and served as an antioxidant. The present study was to explore the potential protective effects of Orz on oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in human hepatic cells (L02 cells) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H O ). Flow cytometry detection and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that Orz significantly restored cell cycle and ameliorated apoptosis in H O -challenged L02 cells.

γ-Oryzanol suppresses cell apoptosis by inhibiting reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial signaling pathway in HO-stimulated L02 cells.

γ-Oryzanol, a mixture of ferulic acid esters of plant sterols and triterpene alcohols existed in rice bran oil, can ameliorate lipid metabolism and enhance antioxidant activity. In this study, we used hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced injury in human hepatic L02 cells to investigate the mechanisms involved in the hepatoprotective activity of γ-oryzanol. The injuries produced by HO in L02 cells include increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), increased protein expressions of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and induced apoptosis.

Protective effects of betulinic acid on intestinal mucosal injury induced by cyclophosphamide in mice.

Background: Betulinic acid (BA) is a plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid with a variety of biological activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential protective role of BA against intestinal mucosal injury induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP) treatment.

Methods: Mice were pretreated with BA daily (0.

Betulinic acid attenuates dexamethasone-induced oxidative damage through the JNK-P38 MAPK signaling pathway in mice.

Dexamethasone (Dex), a potent anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive agent, has been shown to induce oxidative stress. Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic lupane triterpene with a potent antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect and underlying mechanisms of BA on Dex-induced oxidative damage.

Ameliorative effect of betulinic acid on oxidative damage and apoptosis in the splenocytes of dexamethasone treated mice.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a bioactive pentacyclic triterpene that exhibits a variety of biological activities including antioxidative and immunomodulative properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential splenocytes protective effect and underlying mechanism of BA using dexamethasone (Dex)-induced mice as a model system. Pretreatment with BA (0.

Betulinic acid prevents alcohol-induced liver damage by improving the antioxidant system in mice.

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic lupane-type triterpene, has a wide range of bioactivities. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of BA and the potential mechanism underlying the ability of this compound to prevent liver damage induced by alcohol in vivo. Mice were given oral doses of BA (0.

Enzymatic synthesis of phytosteryl docosahexaneates and evaluation of their anti-atherogenic effects in apo-E deficient mice.

Phytosterols have attracted much attention in recent years due to their health benefits, such as cholesterol lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenicity, and anti-cancer potential. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been demonstrated to possess cardioprotective and immune-enhancing effects. Esterification of phytosterols with DHA may render improved physiochemical properties such as solubility, miscibility, oxidative stability and hence bioactivity and bioavailability.

Phytosteryl sinapates and vanillates: chemoenzymatic synthesis and antioxidant capacity assessment.

Phytosterols and their derivatives have attracted much attention because of their health benefits to humans and are widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics in the past decades. While most of the research has focused on free phytosterols and phytosteryl esters of fatty acids, few researches reported on phytosteryl phenolates, the esters of phytosterols with phenolic acids. Two novel group phytosteryl phenolates, namely phytosteryl sinapates and vanillates, were successfully chemoenzymatically synthesised in this work and their structures confirmed.

Antioxidant activity of phytosteryl phenolates in different model systems.

As part of a comprehensive study of the physiochemical and biological properties of phytosteryl phenolates, successfully synthesized chemoenzymatically in our lab, their antioxidant activity was evaluated using three different in vitro model systems, namely bulk oil model system, β-carotene-linoleate model system and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) oxidation assay. In the bulk oil system, phytosteryl phenolates showed similar or lower antioxidant activity compared with those of phenolic acids. However, in β-carotene-linoleate assay, an emulsion model system, phytosteryl phenolates showed enhanced antioxidant activity except phytosteryl ferulates.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of phytosteryl ferulates and evaluation of their antioxidant activity.

The feasibility of a two-step chemoenzymatic synthesis of phytosteryl ferulates was successfully established in this work. An intermediate vinyl ferulate was first chemically produced and subsequently esterified with phytosterols through alcoholysis with Candida rugosa as a catalyst. The structures of phytosteryl ferulates were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and high-performance chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) under both positive and negative ion modes.