Lonicera caerulea berry extract attenuates lipopolysaccharide induced inflammation in BRL-3A cells: Oxidative stress, energy metabolism, hepatic function

• In vitro digestion combined with cell model was used in the present study.
• The effect of investigated extract on LPS induced hepatitis was evaluated.
• Investigated extract pre-treatment observably inhibited oxidative stress.
• Investigated extract pre-treatment significantly maintained energy metabolism.
• Investigated extract pre-treatment markedly modulated hepatic function.

Lonicera caerulea fruit is a polyphenol-rich berry. The protective effects of L. caerulea berry extract before and after in vitro digestion on hepatitis were investigated using lipopolysaccharide-induced BRL-3A cell model in this study. The results demonstrated that both undigested extract and digested extract pre-treatment observably inhibited oxidative stress, as evidenced by the reduction in the production of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and protein carbonyls; significantly maintained energy metabolism and cellular structure, which were verified by the suppression of decline in the activities of ATP synthetase, cytochrome c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase, and changes in histological structure; markedly modulated hepatic function by attenuating the enhancement in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities and the decrease in acetylcholine esterase activity; and remarkably attenuated the production of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6. Taken together, the application of L. caerulea berry extract protects liver against the damage caused by lipopolysaccharide.