Hepatoprotective Effect of Methanol Extract of Diospyroschloroxylon Leaf in NNitrosodimethylamine-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract

The present study investigated the ameliorative properties of Diospyroschloroxylon (methanolic) leaf extract (DCLE) in liver of rats intoxicated with N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). Antioxidant markers- Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation were assayed spectrophotometrically. DNA fragmentation was determined spectrophotometrically. The Bcl-2, Ki-67 and CD15 markers were assayed using immunohistochemistry. The activities of SOD and catalase were decreased in the NDMA-treated rats by 99.5% and 47.1%, respectively compared with controls, whereas pretreatment with DCLE showed significantly elevated (p < 0.05) values as against NDMA. NDMA treatment reduced GSH level by 35.7% compared with controls, while DCLE pretreatment significantly increased the level relative to NDMA group. The NDMA significantly increased (p < 0.05) MDA level with the value 3.56 ± 1.07 (µM of MDA/mg protein) as against the control (1.83 ± 0.14 µM of MDA/mg protein). On pretreatment with DCLE, the level was observed to be 1.99 ± 0.77 µM of MDA/mg protein. NDMA treatment significantly increased DNA fragmentation in the liver by 122.2% relative to control rats, while DCLE pretreatment reduced the level by 77.9% compared with NDMA treatment. The NDMA caused strong expressions of Bcl-2, Ki-67 and CD15 relative to controls, while DCLE supplementation ameliorated the effects. The findings suggest that Diospyroschloroxylon methanol leaf extract possesses hepatoprotective properties expressed through the amelioration of oxidative stress, cell proliferation and malignancy in liver of rats treated with N-Nitrosodimethylamine.