Hepatoprotective properties of the glycolipoprotein extract from Eisenia foetida

Abstract

The liver is continuously exposed to a variety of xenobiotics. Several xenobiotics are identified which act as hepatotoxicants. Hence, finding protective agents for ameliorating xenobiotics-included liver injury has a great value. Eisenia foetida, a kind of “earthworm,” is a source of a wide range of bioactive components. Several investigations have been evaluated the E. foetida extract (EFX) for biomedical and nutritional applications. The current study was designed to evaluate the potential hepatoprotective properties of EFX in two experimental models of hepatic damage. Acetaminophen (APAP; 1 g/kg, i.p) was administered as the animal model of acute liver injury in mice. Bile duct ligated (BDL) rats were used as the animal model of chronic hepatic damage. Severe elevation in tissue biomarkers of oxidative stress including lipid peroxidation and hepatic glutathione depletion was evident in both APAP-treated and BDL animals. Moreover, serum biomarkers of liver injury were drastically increased in both acute and chronic animal models of hepatotoxicity. Significant liver tissue histopathological alterations including tissue necrosis, vascular congestion, and inflammatory cells infiltration were detected in APAP-treated and BDL animals. On the other hand, it was found that EFX supplementation (100, 200, 500, and 700 mg/kg, i.p) mitigated oxidative stress markers, decreased serum biomarkers of liver injury, and alleviated liver tissue histopathological changes. The hepatoprotection provided by EFX supplementation in the current study might be mediated through its potential antioxidative mechanisms.