RESUMO
Flavonoids play significant role in the treatment of many diseases. Green tea [Camellia Sinensis L.] is a common beverage all over the world with antioxidant and detoxification effects related to the presence of flavonoids and catchins. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of green tea on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity. In this experimental study, 64 male Wistar rats were allocated to eight groups. The control group received a normal diet alone, sham group received normal saline, hepatotoxic group received thioacetamide [50 mg/kg thioacetamide for three days], other groups received a thioacetamide for three days and the alcoholic extract of bgreen tea, at minimum [50 mg/kg], moderate [100 mg/kg], and maximum [200 mg/kg] doses, glutathione [250 mg/kg], green tea [200 mg/kg] with glutathione [250 mg/kg] for 21 days [i.p.]. After that, blood samples were drawn and the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, Alkaline phosphatase, total protein and albumin, as liver injury indices, were measured. The decrease of aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity in the receptors of different dosages of green tea and glutathione was significant compared with the group treated by thioacetamide. Also, a significant increase was observed in total protein and albumin of serum in green tea receptors compared with thioacetamide group. The study results show the protective effect of green tea on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity which is likely caused by the antioxidant effect of polyphenol compounds controlling thioacetamide activity which in turn controls the cytochrome P450 activity and neutralization of free radicals