ABSTRACT This study investigated the possible
antioxidant and
neuroprotective effects of alcesefoliside, isolated from Astragalus monspessulanus L.,
Fabaceae, against
carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced
brain injury in
Wistar rats.
Iron sulphate/
ascorbic acid lipid peroxidation was induced in
rat brain microsomes and pre-incubated with alcesefoliside and
silybin.
Male rats were treated in vivo with alcesefoliside and with
silymarin alone;
animals challenged with CCl4; and pre-treated with alcesefoliside or
silymarin in respective doses for 7 days, challenged with CCl4, followed by curative
treatment (additional 14 days). The activity of
acetylcholine esterase and the
antioxidant enzymes superoxide-dismutase,
catalase,
glutathione-
peroxidase, glutathione reductase and
glutathione-S-
transferase as well as the
biomarkers of
oxidative stress malondialdehyde and
reduced glutathione were measured. The alcesefoliside pre-
treatment and consecutive curative
treatment normalizes the activity of the
antioxidant enzymes as well as levels of
malondialdehyde and
reduced glutathione. The observed effects on
tissue level correlate with the histopathological observations of the
brain. They were comparable to the effects of
silymarin, used as a positive control. The results showed that alcesefoliside has a
neuroprotective effect against CCl4-induced
brain toxicity in
rats.