phytoestrogens and Liver-Diseases

Contemporary pharmacological research has demonstrated that puerarin, the most important phytoestrogen extracted from Pueraria lobata(Willd.) Ohwi, has protecting functions on the cardiovascular system, nervous system, osteoporosis, liver injury, and inflammation in vivo and in vitro. Most of these research studies focused on inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis through regulating various bioactivators and signal pathways. Among these, superoxide dismutase (SOD), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB are of great importance. The data cited in this review were mainly obtained from articles listed in PubMed and Elsevier SDOL published from 1959 to 2013, and the search term used was "puerarin".

Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Isoflavones; Liver Diseases; Neuroprotective Agents; Oxidative Stress; Phytoestrogens; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Pueraria

Our extensive investigation of the isoprenoidal glycosides in Solanaceae and Leguminosae folk medicines to verify their effectiveness, antiherpes and anti-HSV-1 activities, and hepatoprotective action has resulted in the elucidation of their structure-activity relationships. We present the respective optimum models here.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Antiviral Agents; Carbohydrate Conformation; Cell Division; Depression, Chemical; Fabaceae; Glycosides; Glycosylation; Herpesvirus 1, Human; Humans; Isoflavones; Liver Diseases; Phytoestrogens; Plant Preparations; Plants, Medicinal; Saponins; Solanum; Structure-Activity Relationship; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol are highly active phytoestrogens isolated from the tuberous root of Pueraria candollei var. mirifica (Leguminosae). Modulatory effects of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol on the mRNAs of BSEP and MRP2 genes involved in bile salt transportation, in C57BL/6 mice were investigated. In contrast to estradiol, miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol suppressed the expression of BSEP and MRP2 mRNA in both male and female mice. The results suggest for the first time that the use of miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol-containing products as alternative medicines or health supplements should be concerned according to their effects on key genes that regulate the bile salt export pump, which could result in the risk of hepatotoxicity and intrahepatic cholestasis.

Topics: Animals; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 11; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic; Coumarins; Female; Liver; Liver Diseases; Male; Membrane Transport Proteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Phytoestrogens; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Plant Tubers; Pueraria; RNA, Messenger; Steroids

The cheetah in the wild is "racing towards extinction" mostly due to habitat destruction. Its survival will probably depend on accelerated captive breeding. At this time, however, reproductive failure and liver disease threaten the future of the captive cheetah population. Histopathological evaluation of more than 100 cheetah livers identified venocclusive disease as the main hepatic lesion responsible for liver disease in this species. Analysis of the commercial feline diet by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed large amounts of two phytoestrogens identified as daidzein and genistein. These compounds were found to be derived from a soybean product that was a component of the cheetah diet, and their concentrations both ranged from 18 to 35 micrograms/g diet. The adult cheetah consequently consumes approximately 50 mg/day of these weak estrogens. When extracts of the diet were tested for estrogenicity using a bioassay, a dose-related increase in uterine weight was observed. In 4 cheetahs studied, withdrawal of this feline diet by substitution with a chicken diet resulted in an improvement in conventional liver function tests and a normalization in the appearance of hepatic mitochondria. We conclude that the relatively high concentrations of phytoestrogens from soybean protein present in the commercial diet fed to captive cheetahs in North American zoos may be one of the major factors in the decline of fertility and in the etiology of liver disease in this species. The survival of the captive cheetah population could depend upon a simple change of diet by excluding exogenous estrogen.

Topics: Acinonyx; Animal Feed; Animals; Biological Assay; Carnivora; Cat Diseases; Cats; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Estrogens; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Glycine max; Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease; Infertility, Female; Isoflavones; Liver; Liver Diseases; Liver Function Tests; Male; Mice; Phytoestrogens; Plant Preparations; Rats