Suppressive effect of UV-irradiated Red perilla on hepatitis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice

Background and objectives: Hepatitis has become a global health problem. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) has been widely used to establish hepatic injury in experimental animals. CCl4 also causes oxidative stress in animals. Red perilla (Perilla frutescens [L.] Britton var. crispa f. purpurea) displays various biological activities with its bioactive compound. Moreover, ultraviolet (UV) increasing antioxidant activity. However, the protective effect of UV-irradiated red perilla against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity has not been clarified. This study investigated the effect of UV-irradiated red perilla on liver injury stimulated by CCl4 in vivo. Methods: Male 9-week-old ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups. The untreated group (N) and CCl4-treated model group (C) received 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose-NA (CMC-Na) without UV-irradiated red perilla by oral gavage once a day for a week. The low-dose (UL) and high-dose (UH) UV-irradiated red perilla groups were administered red perilla extract that has irradiated by UV light at a dose of 25 or 100 mg/kg body weight, respectively, oral gavage once a day for a week. One hour after the last treatment, the C, UL and UH groups were intraperitoneally injected with 10 mL of CCl4 (0.2% in olive oil) per kg body weight, while the N group received an equivalent volume of olive oil. After 24 h of CCl4 treatment, all mice were sacrificed under anesthesia. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by measuring serum levels of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Lactose Dehydrogenase (LDH) using standard methods. Results: High and low dose of UV-irradiated red perilla significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing the serum level of ALT, AST and LDH. Conclusions: UV-irradiated red perilla cultivated in a plant factory with artificial light provides hepatoprotection against CC14-induced liver injury in mice. UV-irradiated red perilla would be beneficial in protecting against several diseases related to oxidative stress.