ABSTRACT
The oral intake of alcohol has become a widespread concern due to its high risk to body health. Therefore, our purpose in this study was to reveal the antioxidant efficacies of natural Commiphora myrrha on hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by ethanol in adult male rats, especially because these were not adequately revealed by previous studies. We examined the impacts of C. myrrha in male Sprague Dawley rats orally treated with C. myrrha (500 mg/kg) alone or in combination with 40% ethanol (3 g/kg), daily for 30 days. The results showed that treatment with C. myrrha after the oral consumption of ethanol caused a reduction in serum liver function parameters (alanine transferases, aspartate transaminase, and total bilirubin), hepatic tumor markers (α-L-flucosidase and arginase), and hepatic lipid peroxidation indicator (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), as well as a slight restoration (not significant) in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione; and total antioxidant capacity. In addition, it alleviated histopathological changes in the liver, as revealed by decreased areas of inflammatory infiltrate, milder necrosis, and noticeably reduced periportal fibrosis and hemorrhage. The therapeutic efficiency of C. myrrha could be due to its rich sesquiterpenoids content which possesses anti-inflammatory properties and ROS-scavenging activities. Our findings provide evidence that the attenuation of oxidative stress by C. myrrha enables hepatic tissue to suppress inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms, resulting in enhanced liver structure and function. Therefore, C. myrrha extract shows promise as a protective and therapeutic supplement against toxic agents.
ABSTRACT
Natural products, including their purified materials, play a remarkable role in drug development. The Euphorbiaceae family, mainly Euphorbia tirucalli, is used in some traditional medicine, and has evidence that its latex comprises immunomodulatory properties and cytokine production. This study aimed to measure the in vivo production of chemokines (IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-12, and RANTES), TH1 cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, GM-CSF, and IL-2) and TH2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13) in rats after treatments with ethanol latex extract of E. tirucalli. Vaccine treated and untreated rats were divided into seven groups to assess antimicrobial activities of the extracted components. After completion of the treatment schedule, blood was withdrawn and sera were collected. The results showed that the main component of the extract was a euphol compound. The extract showed antimicrobial activity and had the ability to modulate innate and adaptive immunity. Animals treated with extract for only 7â¯days before vaccination showed higher levels of antibody production. The extract showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. The extract could stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity. Pre-treatment with the extract increased immune responses in vaccinated animals, indicating the usefulness of the extract before immunization.
