Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University Veterinary Research Forum 2008-8140 Articles in Press 2026 07 22 Protective effect of Tribulus terrestris L. extract against Pasteurella multocida-induced hepatic damage in mice 737876 10.30466/vrf.2026.2072518.4924 EN Hui Zhang Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 0000-0002-1700-5065 Xinxin Yu College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Yurong Huang College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Kai Liu College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Ying Li College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Journal Article 2025 09 23 Pasteurella multocida is a widespread zoonotic pathogen associated with severe hepatic inflammatory responses. Although traditional medicinal plants such as Tribulus terrestris L. (TL) have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, their protective effects against Pasteurella multocida-induced liver injury remain insufficiently studied. This study established a Pasteurella multocida-induced liver injury model to evaluate the protective efficacy of TL extract. Thirty-two male Kunming mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, penicillin-streptomycin, and TL extract. Therapeutic interventions were conducted by daily intraperitoneal injection of P. multocida (50 CFU/mL) followed by treatment with antibiotics or TL extract (1000 mg/kg/day) for 7 consecutive days. The therapeutic potential of T. terrestris extract was evaluated using histopathological analyses (hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masan staining), RT-qPCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence to assess inflammatory cytokine expression and NF-κB pathway activation. The extract significantly attenuated hepatic fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in infected mice. Following Pasteurella multocida infection, NF-κB pathway activation may indicate by upregulated NF-κB1 and downregulated IκBα expression in mouse liver, alongside increased pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. Treatment with antibiotics or TL reversed these changes. TL likely suppressed NF-κB activation by downregulating receptor TNFRsf1a. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence further demonstrated decreased phosphorylation of IκBα and reduced IL-1β and TNF-α after treatment, indicating effective inhibition of NF-κB signaling and inflammation. These effects were comparable to those observed with antibiotic treatment. Our research reveals that TL extract alleviates Pasteurella multocida-induced hepatic inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB activation, highlighting its potential as a plant-derived therapeutic agent for bacterial liver injury.