Abstract
Background: In Tunisia, the ethnobotanical study and biological activity of Teucrium alopecurus (TAlp), belonging to Labiatea family, is poorly recorded. Objectives: The goal of this study is to investigate the inhibitory potential of TAlp in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic damage. Methods: Cell viability was measured by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenylbromide (Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium blue) assay. We treated tumor cells with TAlp essential oil (0.005 and 0.01 μg/ml) and curcumin (10 μM). Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Therefore, we carried out the in vivo malignant hepatoma induced by LPS and the preventive effect of water-insoluble fraction extracted from aerial parts of TAlp. Moreover, the hepatoprotective effect was investigated by the determination of serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Results: Our results indicated the significant anti-proliferative effects of TAlp on colon tumor cell lines alone or in combination with curcumin. Moreover, hepatocellular inflammation induced by LPS increases metastasis in liver cells and was suppressed by intragastric administration of TAlp essential oil. Inflammation is tightly associated with carcinogenesis at both the initiation and development of tumor. Conclusion: Overall, the Tunisian plants showed potency in the prevention of hepatocarcinogenesis.