Fermented Barley Extract Supplementation Maintained Antioxidative Defense Suppressing Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Liver Injury in Rats

Utilizing phytochemicals in treating inflammation is becoming a viable alternative to pharmacological treatment. We have reported that fermented barley extract (FBE) effectively suppresses oxidative stress in chronically ethanol-fed rats. Here we report that FBE suppressed acute increases in oxidative stress as a response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. Rats supplemented with FBE for 10 d showed decreases in plasma interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by 25%, 34%, and 35% respectively after LPS challenge. Liver damage was significantly suppressed, as marked by a 44% decrease in plasma alanine aminotransferase. FBE supplementation sustained liver antioxidative enzymes, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, at transcriptional and enzymatic levels, thus suppressing oxidative stress markers such as plasma nitric oxide and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, by 42% and 23% respectively. We concluded that active compounds in FBE effectively inhibited the propagation of inflammation by suppressing oxidative stress.