Scientific African (Nov 2021)
Ananas comosus and Citrus sinensis peels ameliorate CCl4-induced liver injury in Wistar rats
Abstract
Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathophysiology of a plethora of diseases. In this research, pilot studies were carried out in the methanol extracts of the ten fruit peels to screen for antioxidant activity. Two fruit peels with the highest antioxidant activity were selected. The methanol peel extracts of the selected two; Citrus sinensis (orange) and Ananas comosus (pineapple) were evaluated for their in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. Twenty-eight adult Wistar rats of both sexes were used in this experiment and grouped into seven of four rats each. Group 1 and 2 served as normal and positive controls. Groups 3 to 7 were pre-treated with Silymarin (100 mg/kg), A. comosus methanol peel extract (ACMPE) 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg C. sinensis methanol peel extract (CSMPE) 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively for seven days before intraperitoneally inducing oxidative stress with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) on day eight. Serum analysis of biochemical parameters and histological examination of the liver was carried out using standard methods. The DPPH assay showed that the fruit peel of C. sinensis had the highest antioxidant concentration followed by that of A. comosus. Acute toxicity test (LD50) showed that ACMPE and CSMPE were tolerable at 5000 mg/kg. Phytochemical analysis of the two fruit peels extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, and acidic compounds. Administration of the extracts significantly elevated serum enzymatic levels of SOD and CAT in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the extracts substantially normalized altered MDA, ALT, AST, total protein, and total bilirubin levels. The lipid profile of the animals was greatly improved and histopathological studies confirmed the biochemical observations. The results of this study demonstrate that ACMPE and CSMPE possess antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced oxidative stress in experimental animals.
