Protective mechanisms of 3-caffeoyl, 4-dihydrocaffeoyl quinic acid from Salicornia herbacea against tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage.

Salicornia herbacea has been used as a folk medicine for disorders such as constipation, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Recent studies have shown that S. herbacea has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic activities. In the present work, we investigated the protective effects of the chlorogenic acid derivative, 3-caffeoyl, 4-dihydrocaffeoyl quinic acid (CDCQ), which was isolated from S. herbacea, against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced hepatotoxicity in Hepa1c1c7 cells. Pretreatment of Hepa1c1c7 cells with CDCQ significantly reduced t-BHP-induced generation of ROS, caspase-3 activation, and subsequent cell death. Also, CDCQ up-regulated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which conferred cytoprotection against oxidative injury induced by t-BHP. Moreover, CDCQ-induced nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which is upstream of CDCQ-induced HO-1 expression, and PI3K/Akt activation, a pathway that is involved in induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Taken together, these results suggest that the protective effects of CDCQ against t-BHP-induced hepatotoxicity may be due, at least in part, to its ability to scavenge ROS and to regulate the antioxidant enzyme HO-1 via the PI3K/Akt-Nrf2 signaling pathways.