Hepatoprotective effect of food preservatives (butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene) on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rat.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), a hepatotoxic agent is widely used to study the toxic mechanisms in experimental animals. This study was carried out to establish the hepatoprotective measures of food preservative antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytolune (BHA, BHT) when mixed with food towards carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication (230 mg/ kg b wt/rat/day) in rat. Biochemical markers like serum glutamate pyruvate tranaminase (AST), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin content, antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, GPx, and malondialdehyde (MDA) as the end product of lipid peroxidanion were measured. The results had shown the elevated level of AST (121.16%), ALT (124.68%), ALP (122.41%) an, bilirubin content (57.14%) after CCl4 treatment. Marked decrease of activity of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD (85.36%), CAT (67.47%), GPx (50.7%) had indicated that the ROS mediated toxicity and pretreatment of BHA and BHT restored the activity of these enzymes. High level of MDA content with reduced GSH value was also observed due to oxidative stress. The hepatic antioxidant status was restored with the food preservative (BHA, BHT) antioxidant treatment which had indicated the significant protective effect against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity and finally confirmed by histopathological studies.

Attenuation of uremia by orally feeding alpha-lipoic acid on acetaminophen induced uremic rats.

Uremia means excess nitrogenous waste products in the blood & their toxic effects. An acute acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl p-aminophenol; APAP) overdose may result into potentially fatal hepatic and renal necrosis in humans and experimental animals. The aims of this present study were to investigate the protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on oxidative stress & uremia on male albino rats induced by acetaminophen. The study was performed by 24 albino male Wister strain rats which were randomly divided into four groups: Group I, control - receives normal food and water, Groups II, III & IV receive acetaminophen interperitoneally at the dose of 500 mg/kg/day for 10 days, from 11th day Groups III & IV were treated with ALA at the dose of 5 mg & 10 mg/100 g/day for 15 days, respectively. After 25 days of treatment, it was observed that there was a significant increase in plasma urea, creatinine, sodium and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p < 0.05) but a significant decrease in super oxide dismutase (SOD) & catalase activity & potassium level in uremic group is compared with control group & there was a significant increase in SOD & catalase (p < 0.05) & a significant decrease in serum urea, creatinine & Na and MDA (p < 0.05) in Group III & Group IV is compared with Group II & significant changes were observed in high ALA dose group. In conclusion it was observed that the ALA has nephroprotective activities by biochemical observations against acetaminophen induced uremic rats.

Comparative study on the spermicidal activity of organic solvent fractions from hydroethanolic extracts of Achyranthes aspera and Stephania hernandifolia in human and rat sperm.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the most effective fraction of the hydroethanolic (water:ethanol, 1:1) extracts of Stephania hernandifolia leaves and Achyranthes aspera roots (in a composite manner at a ratio of 1:3, respectively) that will provide maximum spermicidal activity in human and rat spermatozoa out of five different ratios (1:1, 1:3, 1:7, 3:1 and 7:1) that have been studied in pilot experiments. STUDY DESIGN: n-Hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of the hydroethanolic (1:1) extracts of S. hernandifolia and A. aspera were mixed at 1:3. Different concentrations were tested for sperm immobilization, sperm viability, acrosome status, 5'-nucleotidase activity and nuclear chromatin decondensation using human and rat spermatozoa for the selection of the most effective concentration. RESULTS: Out of three fractions of the hydroethanolic (1:1) extracts of the said plants, the n-hexane fraction was most effective, and the chloroform fraction exhibited minimum activity for this purpose. At a concentration of 0.1 g/mL hexane fraction, all sperm of the human sample were immobilized immediately (within 20 s). In case of the rat sample, all epididymal spermatozoa were immobilized immediately (within 20 s) by treatment with hexane fraction at a concentration of 0.004 g/mL. All human sperm were found to be nonviable within 20 min. The activity of acrosome enzymes was reduced, and significant release of 5'-nucleotidase (a plasma membrane marker) into the surrounding medium was noted after treatment with 0.1 g/mL hexane fraction, indicating that the hexane fraction affected the cytoarchitecture of the sperm plasma membrane. The maximum number of human sperm failed to decondense when treated with 0.1 g/mL hexane fraction, and sperm motility was also irreversible. The hexane fraction was tested in rats as vaginal contraceptive and showed 100% efficacy, indicating its potential for development as vaginal contraceptive. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that, among the different fractions, the hexane fraction of the hydroethanolic extracts of the two plants produced the most effective spermicidal activity and can be considered as vaginal contraceptive.