Protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced toxicity in rat liver

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 28; no. 18; pp. 23501 - 23509
• Main Authors: Liu, Rui-jing, He, Yong-jian, Liu, Huan, Zheng, Dong-dong, Huang, Shao-wen, Liu, Chun-hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: animal experimentation; Animal research; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; blood serum; Chemical compounds; Contaminants; Detoxification; Dioctyl phthalate; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Gene expression; health foods; ingredients; Liver; Lycium barbarum; Natural & organic foods; Oxidative stress; Pharmacology; Phthalates; plasticizers; Polysaccharides; protective effect; rats; Research Article; therapeutics; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; polysaccharide; Detoxifying enzymes; Pregnane X receptor; Lycium barbarum polysaccharide
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11990-8

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is the most commonly used plasticizer and it has been a ubiquitous environmental contaminant which affects health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of the Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) at dosages of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg bw on DEHP-induced (3000 mg/kg) toxicity in rat liver through a 28-day animal experiment. The results showed that LBP attenuated oxidative stress slightly by lowering the production of ROS and improving the activity of SOD and GSH-Px in liver and serum of DEHP treatment rats. At the same time, the levels of PXR, CYP450, CYP2E1, CYP3A1, UGT1, and GST were reduced after LBP treatment. Moreover, LBP decreased the mRNA expression of PXR, UGT1, and GST significantly. These findings suggested that LBP might ameliorate DEHP-induced liver injury by down-regulating the expression of PXR in liver, further down-regulating the downstream phase I and II detoxification enzymes, thus reducing the damage caused by DEHP. Therefore, LBP may have the potential to become an auxiliary therapeutic agent as a natural ingredient of health food.