Hepatoprotective Flavonoids in Opuntia ficus‑indica Fruits by Reducing Oxidative Stress in Primary Rat Hepatocytes

Background: Liver disorder was associated with alcohol consumption caused by hepatic cellular damages. Opuntia ficus‑indica fruit extracts (OFIEs), which contain betalain pigments and polyphenols including flavonoids, have been introduced as reducing hangover symptoms and liver protective activity. Objective: To evaluate hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds by high‑speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). Materials and Methods: The extract of O. ficus‑indica fruits was fractionated into methylene chloride and n‑butanol. The n‑butanol fraction was isolated by HSCCC separation (methylene chloride‑methanol‑n-butanol‑water, 5:4:3:5, v/v/v/v). The hepatoprotective activity of OFIEs and isolated compounds was evaluated on rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol‑induced toxicity. Antioxidative parameters such as glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‑Px) enzymes and the GSH content were measured. Results: Two flavonoids, quercetin 3‑O‑methyl ester (1) and (+)‑taxifolin, and two flavonoid glycosides, isorhamnetin 3‑O‑β‑d‑glucoside (3) and narcissin (4), were isolated from the n‑butanol fraction by HSCCC separation. Among them, compound 2 significantly protected rat primary hepatocytes against ethanol exposure by preserving antioxidative properties of GR and GSH‑Px. Conclusions: OFIEs and (+)‑taxifolin were suggested to reduce hepatic damage by alcoholic oxidative stress.