Hepatoprotective potential of Malvaviscus arboreus against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats

Abstract

Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. is a medicinal plant belonging to family Malvaceae with both ethnomedical and culinary value; however, its phytochemical and biological profiles have been scarcely studied. Accordingly, this work was designed to explore the chemical composition and the hepatoprotective potential of M. arboreus against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity. The total extract of the aerial parts and its derived fractions (petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous) were orally administered to rats for six consecutive days, followed by injection of CCl4 (1:1 v/v, in olive oil, 1.5 ml/kg, i.p.) on the next day. Results showed that the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions significantly alleviated liver injury in rats as indicated by the reduced levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with enhancement of the total antioxidant capacities of their livers, with the maximum effects were recorded by the ethyl acetate fraction. Moreover, the protective actions of both fractions were comparable to those of silymarin (100 mg/kg), and have been also substantiated by histopathological evaluations. On the other hand, liquid chromatography-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC‒HR‒ESI‒MS) metabolomic profiling of the crude extract of M. arboreus aerial parts showed the presence of a variety of phytochemicals, mostly phenolics, whereas the detailed chemical analysis of the most active fraction (i.e. ethyl acetate) resulted in the isolation and identification of six compounds for the first time in the genus, comprising four phenolic acids; β-resorcylic, caffeic, protocatechuic, and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acids, in addition to two flavonoids; trifolin and astragalin. Such phenolic principles, together with their probable synergistic antioxidant and liver-protecting properties, seem to contribute to the observed hepatoprotective potential of M. arboreus.

Metabolomics analysis and biological investigation of three Malvaceae plants

“…Likewise, the mass ion peak at m/z 448.100 for the predicted molecular formula C 21 H 20 O 11 was also dereplicated as the flavonol glycoside astragalin ( 2 ), which was previously obtained from the flowers and leaves of both H. sabdariffa and H. mutabilis , as well as from the flowers of M. conzattii Greenm. and the aerial parts of M. arboreus . Another mass ion peak at m/z 302.050, corresponding to the molecular formula C 15 H 10 O 7 , was dereplicated as quercetin ( 3 ) that was earlier reported from some plants of the genus Hibiscus , including H. sabdariffa flowers and the leaves of both H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus L, as well as from M. arboreus flowers .…”

“…A number of flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and fatty acids have been recently reported from Sleeping Hibiscus . Furthermore, the crude extracts and different fractions of the leaves and flowers of this plant species exhibited considerable antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, hepatoprotective, antifungal, and antibacterial potential …”

Bioassay-Guided Isolation, Metabolic Profiling, and Docking Studies of Hyaluronidase Inhibitors from Ravenala madagascariensis

“…The crude extracts of R. madagascariensis (leaves, flowers, stem, and root) were undergone to metabolomic using LC-HRESIMS analytical methods as stated by Abdel Mohsen et al [45]. Each extract (1 mg/mL dissolved in MeOH) was analyzed separately on an Accela HPLC with an Accela UV-Vis coupled to an Exactive (Orbitrap) MS spectrometer from Thermo Fisher Scientific (Berman, Germany).…”

Testicular Caspase-3 and β-Catenin Regulators Predicted via Comparative Metabolomics and Docking Studies

“…The crude hydromethanolic extracts of ten plants, previously mentioned above, were subjected to metabolomic analysis using LC-HR-ESI-MS analytical techniques [103]. Briefly, the total extract of each plant (1 mg/mL in MeOH) was uploaded on an Accela HPLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany) combined with Accela UV-vis and Exactive (Orbitrap) mass spectrometer from Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen, Germany).…”