The protective effects of nerol to prevent the toxicity of carbon tetrachloride to the liver in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract

Introduction: Carbon-tetrachloride (CCl4) is well-known to cause liver damage due to severe oxidative stress. Nerol, on the other hand, is a monoterpene that is antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic. This study set out to determine if nerol may be used as a prophylactic measure against the oxidative stress mediated hepatic injury caused by CCl4. Materials and methods: For the aim of this experiment, 35 male Sprague-Dawley rats ranging in body weight (BW) from 140 to 180 g were split into five separate groups. With the exception of vehicle control group 1, all experimental rats were subjected to carbon tetrachloride exposure through intra-peritoneal injection at a 0.7 mL/kg body weight dose once a week for 4 weeks (28 days). The treatment groups 3 and 4 received oral administration of nerol at 50 and 100 mg/kg BW for 28 days. In the same time period, the standard control group received 100 mg/kg BW silymarin. Results: Serum hepatic markers, lipid profiles, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, and total protein were all substantially improved in nerol-treated rats in a dose-dependent manner that had been exposed to CCl4 compared to the only CCl4-treated group. Carbon tetrachloride-exposed rats had lower glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels and higher thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels than normal rats. In contrast, administration of nerol shown a significant augmentation in the concentrations of these antioxidant compounds, while concurrently inducing a decline in the levels of TBARS in the hepatic tissue. In a similar vein, the histo-pathological examination yielded further evidence indicating that nerol offered protection to the hepatocyte against damage generated by CCl4. Conclusion: According to the findings of our investigation, nerol has potential as a functional element to shield the liver from harm brought on by ROS that are caused by CCL4.

Keywords

• Nerol
• Carbon-tetrachloride
• Hepatotoxicity
• Oxidative-stress
• Hepatoprotective