Hepatoprotective properties of Plantago asiatica (Chinese plantain)

In this study, researchers at Nanchang University in China investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of Plantago asiatica, also known as Chinese plantain, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced injury. They reported their findings in an article published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

• According to previous studies, the polysaccharide obtained from the seeds of P. asiatica promotes the maturation of murine dendritic cells, induces defecation and exhibits antioxidant activity in vitro.
• However, the effect of P. asiatica seed polysaccharide (PLCP) on LPS-induced liver injury in mice has not been thoroughly explored.
• To address this, the researchers pretreated mice with different doses of PLCP for three weeks.
• On Day 22, they gave the animals intraperitoneal injections of LPS then took blood and liver samples after 12 hours.
• The researchers found that PLCP inhibited the excessive production of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-2 and IL-1B in the mice.
• PLCP also improved glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity activities in the mice’s livers.
• In addition, PLCP inhibited nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and increased the production of metallothionein in the liver.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that P. asiatica seed polysaccharide has protective effects against inflammation that causes liver injury.

Journal Reference:

Li F, Huang D, Nie S, Xie M. POLYSACCHARIDE FROM THE SEEDS OF PLANTAGO ASIATICA L. PROTECT AGAINST LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-INDUCED LIVER INJURY. Journal of Medicinal Food. 11 October 2019;22(10):1058–1066. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2018.4394