Chemical compounds from Allii Tuberosi Semen exhibiting anti-fibrotic effects on hepatic stellate cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Liver fibrosis involves changes in tissue structure and extracellular matrix composition due to multiple chronic liver diseases. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a crucial role in the development of liver fibrosis. Allii Tuberosi Semen, derived from the mature seed of Allium tuberosum Rottl.ex Spreng. (Liliaceae), is a traditional Chinese medicine known for its numerous bioactive properties, including hepatoprotective effects, sexual function improvement, immunity enhancement, anti-oxidation, and anti-microbial activities.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to identify effective ingredients in Allii Tuberosi Semen with anti-liver fibrosis properties.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Extensive spectroscopic analysis was performed to identify the structures of the unreported compounds. Furthermore, these compounds were evaluated for anti-fibrotic effects on HSCs and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

Five new steroidal saponins, compounds 1-5, were isolated from Allii Tuberosi Semen, together with eight known compounds. Additionally, the carbon and hydrogen signals of compound 6 were assigned for the first time. These compounds significantly suppressed TGF-β1-induced HSCs activation via effectively reducing cell viability and migration while increasing the apoptosis rate. Further investigation was found that compound 8 inhibit the TGF-β1/Smad and PI3K/Akt pathways, increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that compounds 1-12 are effective inhibitors of liver fibrosis, making them promising agents for treating hepatic fibrosis.