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HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF CORN PEPTIDES AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE‐INDUCED LIVER INJURY IN MICE
Author(s) -
YU GUOCAI,
LV JIE,
HE HUI,
HUANG WEN,
HAN YING
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of food biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-4514
pISSN - 0145-8884
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-4514.2011.00551.x
Subject(s) - carbon tetrachloride , chemistry , liver injury , alanine transaminase , malondialdehyde , aspartate transaminase , superoxide dismutase , corn oil , antioxidant , corn gluten meal , glutathione peroxidase , pharmacology , biochemistry , food science , medicine , enzyme , alkaline phosphatase , soybean meal , organic chemistry , raw material
Hepatic injury is a prevalent ailment worldwide. The hepatoprotective effects of corn peptides (CPs) were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )‐induced liver injury in mice. Low molecular weight CP (Mw < 5 kD) were obtained by alcalase hydrolysis combined with ultrafiltration technology. Results showed that the hepatoprotective effects of CP (200 mg/kg body weight [bw]) were manifested by a significant decrease of the aminotransferase (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase) activities in serum and malondialdehyde level in liver, and by a significant increase of superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione level in liver ( P < 0.01), compared with the model group. The biochemical findings were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections. The hepatoprotective effect was close to that of positive control group – Silymarin (50 mg/kg bw). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the pretreatment of CP at the dose of 200 mg/kg bw showed a significant protective effect to alleviate CCl 4 ‐induced hepatocellular injury, and the hepatoprotective effect was due to the CP's antioxidant capability and high Fischer's ratio. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS There is an ever‐increasing need of an agent that could protect liver from various damages. Therapies developed along the principles of Western medicine are often limited in efficacy, carry the risk of adverse effects and are often too costly, especially for the developing world. Corn peptides (CPs) were obtained from corn gluten meal, which was the by‐product of corn industry. It will broaden the application and increase the value of corn gluten meal. CPs, especially those with low molecular weight, have been reported with many bioactive functions, which were isolated with potent free radical scavenging capacities and high Fischer's ratio. In general CP could become a safe and potent hepatoprotective agent and could be manufactured into various forms, such as powder, tinctures, tablet, capsule and syrup. The future applications of CP would be mostly as a medicine, supplement or functional foods.