Antioxidant effect of a fermented powder of Lady Joy bean in primary rat hepatocytes.

The role and beneficial effects of plant and food extracts against various diseases induced by oxidative stress have received much attention in recent years. Legumes are rich in bioactive compounds, and some studies suggest a correlation between their consumption and a reduced incidence of diseases. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were used to investigate whether and how an extract obtained from a fermented powder of bean named Lady Joy (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is able to regulate antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes through the NRF2 pathway, inhibit NF-kB activation, and reduce H2O2-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. All of the antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes studied were significantly up-regulated by Lady Joy treatment. Western blot showed that Nrf2 was activated by Lady Joy treatment. Also, cells treated with this fermented bean were partially protected against NF-kB activation resulting from H2O2 stress. As a link between oxidative stress and ER dysfunction is hypothesized, we verified whether Lady Joy was able to protect cells from H2O2-induced ER stress, by studying the response of the proteins CHOP, BiP and caspase 12. The results of this study show that Lady Joy can induce the Nrf2 pathway, inhibit NF-kB, and protect ER from stress induced by H2O2.