Beta vulgaris L. beetroot protects against iron-induced liver injury by restoring antioxidant pathways and regulating cellular functions

Beta vulgaris L. is a root vegetable that is consumed mainly as a food additive. This study aimed to describe the protective effect of B. vulgaris on Fe²⁺-mediated oxidative liver damage through in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico studies to establish a strong rationale for its protective effect. To induce oxidative damage, we incubated the livers of healthy male rats with 0.1 mM FeSO₄ to induce oxidative injury and coincubated them with an aqueous extract of B. vulgaris root (BVFE) (15-240 µg/mL). Induction of liver damage significantly (p < .05) decreased the levels of GSH, SOD, CAT, and ENTPDase activities, with a corresponding increase in MDA and NO levels and Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase, G6 Pase, and F-1,6-BPase enzyme activities. BVFE treatment (p < .05) reduced these levels and activities to almost normal levels, with the most prominent effects observed at 240 µg/mL BVFE. An HPLC investigation revealed sixteen compounds in BVFE, with quercetin being the most abundant. Chlorogenic acid and iso-orientation showed the highest binding affinities for G6 Pase and Na+/K + ATPase, respectively. These findings suggest that B. vulgaris can protect against Fe²⁺-mediated liver damage by suppressing oxidative stress and cholinergic and purinergic activities while regulating gluconeogenesis. Overall, the hepatoprotective activity of this extract might be driven by the synergistic effect of the identified compounds and their probable interactions with target proteins.