CGA alleviates LPS-induced inflammation and milk fat reduction in BMECs through the NF-κB signaling pathway

Mastitis is an easy clinical disease in dairy cows, which seriously affects the milk yield and quality of dairy cows. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a polyphenolic substance, is abundant in Eucommia ulmoides leaves and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects. Here, we explore whether CGA attenuated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and decreased milk fat in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). 10 μg/mL LPS was used to induce mastitis in BMECs. QRT-PCR, Western blotting, oil red O staining, and triglyceride (TG) assay were used to examine the effects of CGA on BMECs, including inflammatory response, oxidative stress response, and milk fat synthesis. The results showed that CGA repaired LPS-induced inflammation in BMECs. The expression of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-1β, and iNOS was decreased, and the expression levels of CHOP, XCT, NRF2, and HO-1 were increased, which reduced the oxidative stress level of cells and alleviated the reduction of milk fat synthesis. In addition, the regulation of P65 phosphorylation by CGA suggests that CGA may exert its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study showed that CGA attenuated LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress, and restored the decrease in milk fat content in BMECs by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.