Capparis spinosa leaves extract: Source of bioantioxidants with nephroprotective and hepatoprotective effects.

Capparis spinosa, Capparidaceae, is largely distributed all over the Mediterranean Basin and is traditionally used to treat many illnesses, such as liver and kidney diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the antioxidant, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extract of Capparis spinosa leaves (MECS) associated with its phytochemical content. The levels of total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannins were 23.37mgGAE/g, 9.05mgQE/g and 9.35mgTAE/g, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed nine compounds, namely rutin, resveratrol, coumarin, epicatechin, luteolin, catechin, kaempferol, vanillic acid and gallic acid. The MECS showed interesting antioxidant capacity. The MECS-treatment significantly reduced the increased plasma levels of creatinine, urea and uric acid, reduced the elevated MDA levels, significantly reduced the antioxidant enzyme activities and restored the kidney damage, provoked by cisplatin-treatment. Furthermore, MECS-treatment significantly prevented the increase in serum ALT, AST and LDH levels in acute liver damage induced by CCl4, decreased the amount of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and elevated the activities of SOD, CAT and GPx, and restored liver injury. This study supports the traditionally use of C. spinosa to cure kidney and liver diseases. The obtained results highlighted the possible use of C. spinosa as a source of phytochemical with important biological advantages.

Effects of Rhus tripartitum fruit extract on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Rhus tripartitum D.C., Anacardiaceae, has traditionally been used in Tunisia against many illnesses. The present study investigates, for the first time, the protective effects of the methanol extract of Rhus tripartitum fruit (MERT) against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicty in Wistar rats. ALT, AST, LDH, GGT, creatinin, urea, and uric acid levels were studied. The changes in antioxidant parameters such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl contents were also determined. The increased levels of MDA (30.97 and 11.50 nmol MDA/mg protein in liver and kidney, respectively) and protein carbonyls (13.4 and 17.95 nmol/mg protein in liver and kidney, respectively) were attenuated by MERT pretreatment (19.35 and 6.1 nmol MDA/mg protein and 9.15 and 12 nmol/mg protein in liver and kidney, respectively). The MERT pretreatment significantly reduced the increased biochemical parameters of liver and kidney caused by CCl4 and cisplatin treatment. The histopathologic observation showed that MERT pretreatment restores the altered tissues. The observed results could be due to the high phenolic content and to MERT's important antioxidant potential. This study supports the hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects of R. tripartitum.