Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of grape seed extract on carbon tetra chloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

In the present study, protective effects of grape seed extract [GSE] have been evaluated on carbon tetrachloride [CCI[4]]-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Forty Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups. Group I was used as control and received liquid paraffin [1 ml/kg, i.p.]. Rats in group H were injected every other day with CCI[4] [1 ml/kg body weight, i.p.] for 1 month, whereas rats in group III were pretreated orally with GSE [500 mg/kg, p.o.] 7 days before CCI[4] injection every other day for 1 month. Groups IV and V were prophylactically treated with GSE [500 mg/kg, p.o.] and silymarin [25 mg/kg, p.o.] for 1 month, respectively. At the end of the experiment, all animals were killed by decapitation and blood samples were obtained. Serum aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], gamma glutamyl transferase [gamma GT], total and conjugated bilirubin levels were determined. Hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [FBARS, as index of lipid peroxidation] content, reduced glutathione [GSH] and the activities of enzymatic antioxidants; glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], superoxide dismutase [SOD] and catalase were determined. For histopathological evaluation, livers of all rats were removed and processed for light microscopy. All biochemical parameters in serum and the hepatic TBARS were significantly higher while enzymatic antioxidants, GSH-Px, SOD, catalase and hepatic GSH were significantly lower in animals treated with CCI[4] than in the controls. Rats treated with CCI[4] and GSE showed a significant reduction in biochemical parameters in serum and hepatic TBARS content Silymarin used as reference standard also exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity against CCI[4]. Livers of rats treated with CCI[4] showed classic histology of cirrhosis, whereas the histopathological changes were reduced after administration of CCI[4] and GSE. Results of this study revealed that GSE could afford a significant protection against CCI[4]-induced hepatotoxicity. GSE had a similar protective effect when compared with silymarin.

In vitro study of antioxidant properties of parsley [petroselinum sativum M.] seed extracts

In this study, the antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of parsley [Petroselinum sativum M.] seeds [PA] was evaluated by various antioxidant assay, including total antioxidant, radical scavenging activity by DPPH reduction, superoxide anion, nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities. Furthermore, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, metal chelating and reducing power activities of PA extract were also evaluated. Those various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole [BHA] and a-tocopherol The PA extract of seeds showed strong antioxidant activity. Parsley extract at doses 50, 100 and 200 micro g/ml exhibited 38.2,71.6 and 83.8% inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation in a concentration-dependant manner, respectively. On the other hand, a-tocopherol or BHA exhibited 413 and 80.2% respectively. The PA extract have effective reducing power, free radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities. This antioxidant property depends on concentration and increasing with increased amount of sample. In addition, total phenolic compounds in the PA seeds were determined as gallic acid equivalents. The results obtained in the present study indicated that the PA seed is a potential source of natural antioxidant From the above assays, the possible mechanism of antioxidant activity of parsley seeds includes reductive ability, metal chelator, hydrogen donating ability and scavengers of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide and nitric oxide radicals.

Erythrocyte reduced glutathione, serum zinc, selenium and copper levels in diabetic subjects with and without diabetic foot

In this study, red blood cell [RBC] concentrations of reduced glutathione [GSH], serum selenium, zinc and copper levels were determined in 40 type II diabetic subjects with and without diabetic foot as well as 20 controls. In erythrocytes of diabetic patients with diabetic foot [group I], GSH levels were significantly lowered than both diabetic patients without infection [group I] and those of the control. Serum selenium and zinc levels were significantly lower in patients of group II than those of group I and the controls, whereas the levels of serum copper were higher in subjects of group I and group II than the healthy individuals. These results suggested that infection increased the impairment of glutathione metabolism in erythrocytes of diabetic patients

Effects of melatonin treatment on markers of endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats

Diabetes mellitus is a very common health problem with a great impact in the individual health. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM] is believed to result from destruction of pancreatic beta cells secondary to toxic effects of free oxygen radicals, The diabetic patients are at a significant increase risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in general and coronary diseases in particular. The oxidative stress may play an important role in the etiology of diabetic complications. This oxidative stress is opposed by abundant supply of antioxidants. The antioxidants may play an important role in regulation of the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 [PAI-1] which plays an important role in regulation of fibrinolysis. Also the fibrinolytic capacity of human blood is the result of a balance between plasminogen activators and inhibitors. The reent work was designed to study the effect of melatonin [antioxidant] treatment for eight weeks on serum levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor01 [PAI-I], Von willebrand factor [vwf], factor VII and triacylglycerol in streptozobtocin diabetic rats. Forty five adult male rats were divided into thee equal groups one served as a control, the other two groups were rendered diabetic by a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg body weight streptozotocin [STZ]. One remained diabetic without melatonin treatment while the other group was given daily dose of 0.27 mg/kg. B.W. melaonin for eight weeks. Diabetic rats showed a significant increase in serum level of triacylglycerol, PAI-I, [vwf] and factor VII showed slight increase compared to non diabetic group. Treatment of diabetic rats with melatonin induced a significant decrease in serum levels of triacyglycerol, PAI-1, [vwf] and factor VII showed non significant decrease compared with diabetic group. We concluded that melatonin therapy induced a beneficial effect in STZ diabetic rats especially in a pattern of changes in serum levels of triacylglycerol, and the markers of endothelial dysfunction [PAI-I and vwf] that are related to induced risk of atherosclerosis

Helicobacter pylori infection and hyperammonaemia in patients with chronic liver diseases

Thirty six patients with chronic liver diseases [either schistosomal or post-viral or mixed] and eight normal subjects, as a control group, were investigated. The chronic liver diseased patients were classified according to Child-Pugh classification into three main groups; group A = 8 patients, group B = 14 patients and group C = 14 patients. Patients were subjected to upper gastroduodenoscopy, diagnosis of H. pylori infection by pyloriset-EIA-G test and estimation of fasting blood ammonia level 2 weeks after neomycin therapy for eradication of gut flora. Diagnosis of H. pylori infection and blood ammonia level were done to the control group. It was concluded that the patient with chronic liver disease has a high H. pylori infection rate and those infected are at higher risk of hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy, especially group B and C child classification. So, eradication of H. pylori infection in those patients may triggered the improvement of hepatic encephalopathy