Protective effect of broccoli and ferulic acid on imidacloprid-induced hepatotoxicity in rat

Imidacloprid may induce oxidative stress leading to generate free radicals and alternate oxygen free radical scavenging enzyme system. This study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of broccoli water extract and ferulic acid on imidacloprid induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in male albino rats. Rats were co-treated with broccoli water extract [200 mg/kg] or ferulic acid [20 mg/kg] with imidacloprid [80 mg/kg] orally for 28 days. The results revealed that imidacloprid induced high serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and alkaline phosphatase [ALP]. However, administration of broccoli and ferulic acid reduced these parameters. Broccoli and ferulic acid significantly [Pbroccoli and ferulic acid treated groups. The possible mechanism of broccoli and ferulic acid extract on imidacloprid might be due to decreasing oxidative stress [LPO, NO and DNA damage] and increasing GSH content. Thus, broccoli and ferulic acid was suggested to protected rat's liver against imidacloprid-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in liver

Evaluation of Balanites aegyptiaca oil as untraditional source of oil and its anti-inflammatory activity

The aim of this investigation was to study the physiochemical characteristics of Balanites aegyptiaca [BA] kernel oil. The influence of BA oil on liver and kidney functions in rat's serum was investigated. The anti-inflammatory activity of BA kernel oil using carrageenan-induced paw edema and arachidonic acid-induced ear edema in rats was also studied. The results revealed that the kernel had high contents of oil and protein. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid. However, carbohydrates were the major constituents of the pulp. It was found that the supplementations of BA kernel oil had no significant effect on liver and kidney functions of rats. BA oil by 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg orally produced significant anti-inflammatory effect on both carrageenan and arachidonic acid models. The BA oil improved decreases in the activities of catalase [CAT], glutathione-S-transferase [GST] enzymes and increases nitric oxide [NO] and lipid peroxidation [LPO] contents resulting from edema induced by carrgeenan. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alhpa] and interleukin-6 [IL-6] were decreased leading to the reduction of cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] and subsequently alleviated edema BA oil after BA oil treatment. These results indicated that BA oil could be exploited as a new source of oil. Also, it could be used as a source of dietary supplements to prevent inflammatory diseases

Isoproterenol-induced dysfunction in rats' heart mitochondria: protective role of rumex vesicarius extract

Rumex vesicarius L. [Hummayd], of the family Polygonaceae, are edible herbs growing wild in Egypt. The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of Rumex vesicarius leaves extract [RVE] on isoproterenol [ISO]-induced myocardial infarction [MI] in rats. Rats were pretreated with RVE [100 mg/kg] for 7 days. Isoproterenol [150 mg/kg] was i.p. injected into rats at an interval of 24h for 2 days [6[th] and 7[th] day] to induce MI. The results showed that ISO induced high serum activities of lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and creatine kinase [CK]. Furthermore, ISO induced cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction evident by significant [P<0.05] elevation of the lipid peroxidation [LPO], protein carbonyl [PC], reactive oxygen species [ROS] and 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine [8-OHdG] in parallel with inhibition in the antioxidant enzymes activities and glutathione content. Malate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, NADH-dehydrogenase and cytochrome C-oxidase were decreased in rat treated with ISO. Pre- and co-treatment of RVE significantly [P<0.05] ameliorate the harmful in the cardiac mitochondria of rats treated with ISO. Based on these results, it can be concluded that pre- and co-treatment of RVE showed considerable protective effects on ISO-induced MI by protecting the cardiac mitochondrial function. This protection was through the improvements of the antioxidant enzymes as well as the oxidative stress reduction, which may be attributed to antioxidant and anti-peroxidative activity of Rumex vesicarius

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory properties and possible mechanism of action of Egyptian quince [Cydonia oblonga] leaf

The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Cydonia oblonga [COL] evaluated by the following models: arachidonic acid-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. The levels of glutathione [GSH], lipid peroxidation [LPO], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha], interleukin-6 [IL-6] and nitric oxide [NO] in the hind paws of the carrageenan-treated rats were estimated. Moreover, the activities of catalase [CAT] and glutathione-S-transferase [GST] were investigated. The results showed that COL significantly reduced ear edema and paw edema in the rats. Furthermore, treatment with COL decreased the levels of LPO, NO, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, whereas increased the level of GSH. The increased activities of CAT and GST enzymes were ameliorated by COL administration. In conclusion, Cydonia oblonga possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of NO, LPO, IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels leading to alleviate edema

Biochemical evaluation of the protective impact of silymarin against cyclophosphamide- induced hepatotoxicity in rats

This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effect of silymarin on the hepatotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide [CP] in female albino rats. The results revealed that cyclophosphamide induced marked increase in relative liver weight and serum levels of ALT, AST and decrease in serum albumin level which were normalized by silymarin administration. Pretreatment with silymarin significantly attenuated cyclophosphamide-induced increases in malondialdehyde [MDA] in the liver homogenate. The results revealed that the activities of lysosomal enzymes acid phosphatase [ACP], beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase [beta-NAG] and beta- galactosidase [beta-GAL] were increased significantly in CP-treated animals while pretreatment by silymarin caused marked attenuation in the increased activities of the three enzymes. Cyclophosphamide significantly decreased reduced glutathione [GSH], glutathione-s-transferase [GST] and glutathione reductase [GR] levels in the liver homogenate, while pretreatment with silymarin blunted the decreased levels of GSH,GST and GR. Our results revealed the potential hepatoprotective effect of silymarin against cyclophosphamide-induced hepatotoxicity. So, it may be worthy to consider the beneficial use of silymarin as supplement with cyclophosphamide therapy

Assessment of the protective role of green tea on doxorubicin induced hepatic and renal injuries in albino rats

The present study has been undertaken to investigate the ameliorative effect of green tea [GT] on doxorubicin [Doxo]-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in albino rats. The harmful effects of Doxo on some antioxidant enzymes, catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione-S-transferase [GST] were studied. Reduced glutathione [GSH] and malondialdehyde [MDA] in liver and kidney homogenates were investigated. Quantitative and qualitative extents of DNA damage in the liver cells were also estimated using Cornet assay. Thirty two male adult albino rats [180-200 g] were divided into four groups [n=8] as follows; [1] Control group: was orally administered 1 ml/rat of 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose [CMC] in distilled water, [2] Doxo group: after 10 days, Doxo was administered a single i.p. dose of 15 mg/kg body weight, [3] GT group: rats received 100 mg/kg body weight, p.o. of GT for 10 days and [4] Doxo and GT group: rats received 100 mg/kg body weight, p.o. of GT for 10 days prior to Doxo administration as a single i.p. dose of 15 mg/kg body weight. Doxorubicin-induced significant increase in serum levels of AST, ALT and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT] for liver and urea and creatinine for kidney which were decreased by pretreatment with GT. Total serum protein and albumin levels were decreased after treatment with Doxo but this effect was attenuated by pretreatment with GT. Catalase, SOD, GST activities and GSH content of liver and kidney were significantly elevated by pretreatment with GT compared to Doxo-treated rats. Doxorubicin significantly increased in MDA levels. DNA damage measured as tail length, tail DNA% and tail moment were increased after treatment of Doxo while pretreatment with GT improved this effect. This study suggests that green tea has potential protective effect against doxorubicin-induced hepatoxicity and nephrotoxicity. So, it may be worthy to consider the usefulness of GT as adjuvant therapy in cancer management

Biochemical and molecular evaluation of some Egyptian oils as antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents

The Antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of black seed oil, sesame oil and olive oil were evaluated. The in vitro scavenging activities of the three oils on H[2]O[2] and DPPH radicals, microsomal lipid peroxidation, and the iron-chelating ability were studied. In addition, the anticancer activity; cytotoxicity of the three oils on liver [HEP G2], breast [MCF7] and colon [HCTI 16] human tumor cell lines were also tested using sulphorhodamine B [SRB] assay, DNA fragmentation by two methods: agarose gel electrophoresis and diphenylamine assays and two lysosomal enzymes: DNase II and cathepsin D. Caspase-3 activity was also determined. Furthermore, we have investigated alterations in the glutathione [GSH] and lipid peroxidation [LPO] level and the activities of antioxidative enzymes, catalase [CAT] and glutathione-s-transferase [GST] as markers of acute inflammation, following oral administration of the three oils and indomethacin in rats treated with carrageerian-induced paw oedema. The results showed that all of these oils by three concentrations: 25, 50 and 100 micro g ml[-1] scavenged H[2]O[2] and DPPH radicals and inhibited the lipid peroxidation process. The iron ions were chelated by the three oils. Moreover, the black seed oil and olive oil exhibited an efficient cytotoxicity against HEPG2, MCF7 and HCTI 16 carcinoma cell lines, while sesame oil did not maintain any cytotoxic property against all tumor cell lines under our experimental conditions. The cytotoxicity was confirmed by increase the activity of caspase-3 activity, DNase II and cathepsin D and DNA fragmentation. Also, the three oils at 50 and 100 mg kg[-1] orally produced significant anti-inflammatory effect after I hours of carrgeenan injection till 4 hours. The three oils alleviated increases in.the activities of CAT and GST enzymes and lipid peroxidation content resulting from oedema. Also they ameliorated depressions in the GSH level caused by carrageenan injection. Our results concluded that these oils can be used as a source of natural antioxidants and dietary supplements to prevent free radical diseases such as cancer, cirrhosis, diabetes and inflammation

Evening primrose seeds [Oenothera biennis L.] as a rich source of natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory oil

Chemical composition of evening primrose seeds and physiochemical properties of its oil were determined. Antioxidant activity of evening primrose meal extracts, methanol 80% [MeOH], ethanol 80% [EtOH] and ethyl acetate [E.A.], at different concentrations was investigated using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl [DPPH*] radical scavenging assay, hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay and lipid peroxidation in mitochondrja assay. Also, the anti-inflammatory activity of evening primrose seeds oil at three dosages [90, 180, 360 mg/Kg b.w.] on carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats was investigated. Results revealed that, the oil was distinguished by its high content of gamma-linolenic acid and beta-sitosterol and has a dose-dependent anti-inflarnn.iatory activity. Also, the antioxidant activity of all extracts displayed a concentrationdependent scavenging of H2O2 and DPPH*. One hundred micrograms of MeOH and EtOH extracts displayed a 100% scavenging of H2O2 and DPPH*. In addition, all extracts have inhibitory effect against lipid peroxidation in mitochondria The results demonstrated that evening primrose meal extracts [EPR] have antioxidant activity and its oil has anti-inflammatory activity