Prevention of ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by fermented Curcuma longa L. in C57BL/6 mice

The protective effect of fermented Curcuma longa L. (FC) was investigated in male C57BL/6 mice under ethanol-induced oxidative stress. Ethanol markedly elevated levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in mice. However, mice receiving FC prior to ethanol treatment did not display hepatotoxicity as evidenced by the significant reductions of AST and ALT activities. When compared to the ethanol-alone treated group, FC group exhibited a significant decrease in cytochrome P-450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity, an enzyme associated with oxidative stress. Indicators of the hepatic antioxidant defense system, such as levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione were also increased in FC-pretreated mice. The amelioration of malondialdehyde was indicative of the protective effect of FC against liver damage mediated by ethanol. These results suggest that FC could be a candidate used for the prevention against alcoholic liver diseases by the alleviation of oxidative stress via suppressing CYP2E1.