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This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of lyophilized powder of goji ferment (LPGF) against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic damage in Hep3B cells and in mice. Eleven strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were selected and their hepatoprotection against APAP-induced cellular damage in Hep3B cell line was evaluated. Four strains of LAB, including BCRC11652 (Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides), BCRC14619 (Lactobacillus gasseri), KODA-1 (Pediococcus acidilactici), and KODA-2 (Limosilactobacillus fermentum), have hepatoprotective potential against APAP in vitro. Goji significantly stimulated the growth of individual and combined strains of LAB and the optimal fermented condition was the treatment of goji at 10% (w/w) for 24 h. The prepared lyophilized powder of goji ferment (LPGF) containing fifteen combinations of LAB strains was used to explore their hepatoprotection in vitro. LPGF containing all combinations of LAB strains, except for KODA-2, significantly restored APAP-reduced cell viability and improved APAP-increased cellular levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). In mice model, LPGF containing BCRC11652, BCRC14619, and KODA-2 was chosen to evaluate its hepatoprotection against APAP-induced liver injury. LPGF at diverse doses have a tendency but no significant improvement on APAP-reduced body weight gain and liver weight. LPGF significantly decreased APAP-increased serum ALT and AST levels in a dose-dependent manner. At the end of experiment, LPGF significantly and dose-dependently reversed APAP-reduced activities of GSH and antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in hepatic tissue. Overall, LPGF was demonstrated to exhibit hepatoprotection against APAP-induced liver injury in vitro and in vivo.

Over ten-year routine inspection results on organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residue were summarized, OCPs residues, including BHC isomers (α, β, γ, and δ-BHC), DDT analogs (p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDT, and p,p′-DDT), and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) and its metabolites (pentachloroaniline and methyl pentachlorophenyl sulfide (MPCPS)), in 1,665 samples for 37 types of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) using the QuEChERS method coupled with the GC-ECD. Based on the maximal residue levels for OCPs set by Asian pharmacopeias, PCNB contamination in Ginseng radix as well as the total DDT and PCNB contamination in Panacis quinquefolii radix are of concern. OCP residues in different parts of Panax ginseng were also compared. The total BHC residue in leaf and fibrous root, as well as the total DDT and PCNB residue in all parts, exceeded MRL of 0.1 mg/kg. Overall, this study provided meaningful results about OCP residue in CHM for pharmaceutical industries and consumers.