Evaluation of Carotenoid Extract from Dunaliella salina against Cadmium-Induced Cytotoxicity and Transforming Growth Factor β1 Induced Expression of Smooth
Muscle α-Actin with Rat Liver Cell Lines

JAU-TIEN LIN1, YING-CHUNG LEE2, CHAO-CHIN HU1, YOU-CHENG SHEN3,
FUNG-JOU LU1 AND DENG-JYE YANG3,4*

1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Chung Shan Medical University, 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C.
2. Department of Early Childhood Educare, Chung Chou Institute of Technology, 6, Lane 2, Sec. 3, Shanjiao Rd.,
Changhua 510, Taiwan, R.O.C.
3. School of Health Diet and Industry Management, Chung Shan Medical University, 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd.,
Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C.
4. Department of Nutrition, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C.

(Received: August 6, 2009; Accepted: April 29, 2010)

ABSTRACT


The carotenoid extract from Dunaliella salina was identified and quantitated. The effects against cadmium (Cd)-induced hepatotoxicity and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were evaluated. All-trans-β-carotene (474.82 mg/g extract) and 9- or 9′-cis-β-carotene (425.64 mg/g extract) were major carotenoids in the extract, accounting for 90.30% of total carotenoids (997.17 mg/g extract). Other carotenoids were all-trans-lutein (22.77 mg/g extract), all-trans-zeaxanthin (39.26 mg/g extract), 13- or 13′-cis-β-carotene (17.18 mg/g extract), all-trans-α-carotene (9.26 mg/g extract) and 9- or 9′-cis-α-carotene (8.24 mg/g extract). The algal extract had a higher effect (p < 0.05) than all-trans-β-carotene in the reduction of cytotoxicity for CdCl2-treated Clone 9 cells and expression of smooth muscle α-actin (αSMA) for TGF-β1-treated HSC-T6 cells. These effects were shown to be concentration-dependent.

Key words: cadmium, carotenoid, cytotoxicity, Dunaliella salina, HSC-T6 cells, Clone 9 cells, HPLC analysis, smooth muscle α-actin, αSMA, transforming growth factor β1, TGF-β1