Latex Proteins from Plumeria pudica with Therapeutic Potential on Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury

Liver disease is global health problem. Paracetamol (APAP) is used as analgesic drug and is considered safe at therapeutic doses, but at higher doses it causes acute liver injury. N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) is a reactive toxic metabolite produced by biotransformation of APAP. NAPQI damages the liver by oxidative stress and formation of protein adducts. The glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the only approved antidote against APAP hepatotoxicity, but it has limited hepatoprotective effects. The search for new drugs and novel therapeutic intervention strategies increasingly includes testing plant extracts and other natural products. Plumeria pudica (Jacq., 1760) is a plant that produces latex containing molecules with therapeutic potential. Proteins obtained from this latex (LPPp), a welldefined mixture of chitinases, proteinases proteinase inhibitors have shown anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antidiarrheal effects as well as a protective effect against ulcerative colitis. These studies have demonstrated that LPPp acts on parameters such as glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and TNF- α IL1-β levels. Since oxidative stress and inflammation have been reported to affect the initiation and progression of liver injury caused by APAP, it is suggested that LPPp can act on aspects related to paracetamol hepatoxicity. This article brings new insights into the potential of the laticifer proteins extracted from the latex of P. pudica and opens new perspectives for the treatment of this type of liver disease with LPPp.