Apple Consumption Protects against Acute Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

Abstract

Acute alcoholic liver injury is an important health problem worldwide. Apples are rich in many nutrients and have a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor, and therefore have the potential to be a natural protective agent against acute alcoholic liver injury. This study evaluated the protective effect of apples (Malus pumila Mill) on acute alcoholic liver injury in rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: a control group (C), a control group that was fed fresh apples (CA), an ethanol-treated group (E), and an ethanol-treated group that was fed fresh apples (EA). Rats were treated with continuous forced gavage with 40° ethanol (4 mL/kg) for one week to simulate human alcoholism. Liver injury was assessed based on changes in the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), as well as histological analysis. The protective effect of apples on alcoholic liver injury was assessed in terms of alcohol metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid synthesis, and tissue fibrosis. The results showed that apple consumption protected against alcoholic liver injury, as indicated by the decreased serum ALT and AST levels, reduced liver lipid peroxidation, and improved liver histopathology. Moreover, apple consumption increased antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced inflammatory cytokine levels in the liver. These findings suggest that apple consumption may have a protective effect against acute ethanol-induced liver injury in rats, possibly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Keywords

• apples
• alcoholic liver disease
• food function
• differences in gene expression
• enzyme activity