A BSTRACT Oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to liver damage from xenobiotics, leading to chronic diseases. The ethanolic extract of the Benjakul remedy (BJE), a traditional Thai medicine, is recognized for its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, though scientific validation is limited. This study assessed BJE’s antioxidant effects against various radicals using chemical and cellular assays, evaluated its anti-inflammatory effects by measuring inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels, and determined protective effects by evaluating cell viability and oxidative damage. Total phenolic content was measured colorimetrically, and compounds were identified using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. BJE significantly scavenged synthetic radicals, nitric oxide radicals, and lipid radicals, with IC 50 values ranging from 28.76 to 113.46 μg/mL, and diminished ferrous ions with an IC 50 value of 1.48 ± 0.09 mg/mL. Furthermore, BJE potently neutralized superoxide anions and nitric oxide radicals within cells, yielding IC 50 values of 44.43 ± 6.79 and 15.89 ± 0.93 μg/mL, respectively. BJE reduced iNOS expression by 90% and COX-2 by 60% in a dose-dependent manner. BJE protected liver BNL CL.2 cells from oxidative stress and inflammation induced by pyrogallol, improving cell viability, decreasing oxidative damage, and restoring critical antioxidant enzyme activities. BJE contained 6-gingerol, alkaloid amides, and nonalkaloid amides. This study marks the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of BJE at the molecular levels.
Surarit et al. (Thu,) studied this question.