Mulberry Ethanol Extract and Rutin Protect Alcohol-Damaged GES-1 Cells by Inhibiting the MAPK Pathway

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Mulberry extract demonstrates alcohol damage resistance, but its underlying mechanisms require elucidation.
• Gastric mucosal epithelial (GES-1) cells are a relevant model for studying alcohol-induced gastric injury.
• Identifying the active components and pathways involved is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the chemical composition of mulberry ethanol extract (MBE).
• To elucidate the protective mechanism of MBE and rutin against alcohol damage in GES-1 cells.
• To investigate the effects of MBE and rutin on oxidative stress and apoptosis pathways.

Main Methods:

• Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for MBE composition analysis.
• In vitro experiments using GES-1 cells exposed to alcohol.
• Assessment of cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels.
• Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to analyze gene expression in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway.

Main Results:

• MBE is rich in phenolics (308.6 mg/g GAE), with 108 identified compounds including 37 flavonoids and 50 non-flavonoids.
• MBE (400 μg/mL) and rutin (320 μM) significantly reduced cell apoptosis, ROS, and MDA, while increasing GSH levels.
• MBE inhibited MAPK pathway genes (p38, JNK, ERK) and caspase-3 expression; rutin inhibited p38 and caspase-3.

Conclusions:

• MBE effectively mitigates alcohol-induced oxidative stress in gastric cells.
• MBE and rutin modulate apoptosis-related genes within the MAPK pathway.
• This research supports the development of MBE-based functional foods or drugs for anti-alcohol injury applications.