α-Linolenic Acid-Driven Nano-Liposomes from Purslane Seed Oil Modulate p-JAK2/p-STAT3 to Combat Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a serious illness characterized by extensive liver cell damage and inflammation. The present study highlights the potential of purslane seed oil extract-pluronic-modulated liposomes (PSE-PMLs) to protect against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced ALF in rats. Four groups of rats were used in this study: normal control (NC), TAA-induced ALF, silymarin (SIL), and PSE-PMLs groups. SIL- and PSE-PMLs-pretreated groups were orally pre-administered SIL (200 mg/kg) and PSE-PMLs (500 mg/kg), respectively for 7 days. After these pretreatments, all groups except the NC group were injected intraperitoneally with TAA (350 mg/kg) to induce ALF. Serum levels of liver biochemical markers and inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were estimated. Additionally, the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), phosphorylated Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2), phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), tumor protein p53 (p53), active cysteine-aspartic acid protease 3 (caspase-3), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) were assessed. A histopathological examination of the liver was also performed. The study found that pretreatment with PSE-PMLs mitigated TAA-induced biochemical and histopathological alterations, alleviating oxidative stress, dampening the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and amending liver cell apoptosis. These pioneering findings suggest that PSE-PMLs are a promising prophylactic agent against ALF, warranting further studies in the post-injury models. The phytochemical profiling, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), of purslane seed oil revealed α-linolenic acid (~98%) as the predominant component, with additional sterols, tocopherols, and phenolic acids that may underlie its strong antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.