Protective effects of Hawk Tea aqueous extract against copper sulfate-induced oxidative damage in zebrafish model

Litsea coreana Levl. var. lanuginosa (Hawk Tea), a traditional herbal beverage widely consumed in southwestern China, is valued in folk medicine for promoting health, protecting the liver, regulating blood lipids, and preventing metabolic disorders. Rich in flavonoids and other bioactive metabolites, Hawk Tea exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial properties. However, its protective mechanisms against oxidative stress and inflammation-key mediators of chronic and degenerative diseases-remain insufficiently defined.

This study investigated the protective effects of Hawk Tea aqueous extract (LC) against copper sulfate (CuSO₄)-induced oxidative and inflammatory stress in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos, focusing on developmental, biochemical, and molecular responses.

Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 3 μM CuSO₄ and co-treated with LC at different concentrations. Survival, hatching, morphology, oxidative stress markers (ROS, MDA, SOD, CAT), and expression of apoptosis- and inflammation-related genes were assessed.

LC significantly improved survival (10.4-13.5 %) and hatching (45.7-49.1 %) and enhanced body length (13.7-16.1 %), eye size (8.7-15.2 %), cardiac SV-BA distance (14.2-23.6 %), and heart rate (16.8-22.0 %) compared with CuSO₄. LC reduced MDA content and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, with SOD increased by 38.1-84.1 % and CAT by 31.6-75.8 %. Gene expression showed upregulation of Mn-sod, CAT, GPx1a, IL-10, and Bcl-2, and downregulation of TNF-α, NLRP3, and Bax.

These findings confirm the multilevel biological protection effect of LC including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Further studies incorporating ROS quantification and protein-level analyses are required to comprehensively verify these mechanisms and confirm the therapeutic potential of Hawk Tea as a functional health beverage.