Antioxidant Effect of Filipendula glaberrima Nakai Extract in HepG2 Cells

The imbalance of oxidative stress due to the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to the pathogenesis of liver disease. To prevent this, the role of antioxidant mechanisms is important. Antioxidant studies have been reported on the Filipendula glaberrima Nakai. However, studies applied to HepG2 cells, which are human liver cells, have not yet been conducted. In this study, 70% ethanol extract of Filipendula glaberrima Nakai (FGE) was prepared and antioxidant activity was investigated. It was confirmed whether FGE pretreatment could reduce hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells. The increase in gene expression of antioxidant biomarkers and the scavenging ability of ROS were measured, and Hoechst 33342 staining was used to know the inhibitory effect of the apoptosis. As a result, FGE significantly increased SOD (2.6-fold), CAT (4.4-fold), MT-1A (3.1-fold), GPx (4-fold), and G6PD (2.4)-fold compared to the H₂O₂-treated group. FGE directly inhibited ROS production from 13.4 to 3.6 (the fluorescence mean of DCF-DA) and also reduced apoptotic cells from 45% to 10% (Hoechst 33342 staining) at 2.5 ㎍/mL. These results demonstrate the excellent antioxidant activity of FGE and show that it can be used as a functional food to prevent liver disease.