Hepatoprotective Effect of Myristicin from Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) on Lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine-Induced Liver Injury

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Abstract
To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of spices, 21 different spices were fed to rats with liver damage caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus d-galactosamine (D-GalN). As assessed by plasma aminotranferase activities, nutmeg showed the most potent hepatoprotective activity. Bioassay-guided isolation of the active compound from nutmeg was carried out in mice by a single oral administration of the respective fractions. Myristicin, one of the major essential oils of nutmeg, was found to possess extraordinarily potent hepatoprotective activity. Myristicin markedly suppressed LPS/D-GalN-induced enhancement of serum TNF-α concentrations and hepatic DNA fragmentation in mice. These findings suggest that the hepatoprotective activity of myristicin might be, at least in part, due to the inhibition of TNF-α release from macrophages. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the hepatoprotective mechanism(s) of myristicin. Keywords: Liver injury; hepatoprotective activity; myristicin; nutmeg; Myristica fragrans