Clinical Phytoscience (Aug 2019)

Protective role of Stokeyia indica in liver dysfunction and associated complications in acetaminophen intoxicated rats

  • Darakhshan Taj,
  • Amna Tariq,
  • Viqar Sultana,
  • Jehan Ara,
  • Viqar Uddin Ahmad,
  • Syed Ehteshamul-Haque

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40816-019-0122-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background Acetaminophen is an efficient painkiller usually safe when used in therapeutic doses. It may cause hepatotoxicity when overdosed and triggers nephrotoxicity as well, besides affecting lipid and glucose metabolism. Marine macro-algae possesses various biological activities including hepatoprotective. Stokeyia indica is a brown alga, found abundantly at Karachi coast is known to possess antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. In this study, we evaluated its hepatoprotective role against damage induced by acetaminophen and associated complications like kidney dysfunction. Method To evaluate hepatoprotective role of S.indica against damage induced by acetaminophen and associated complications, male Wistar rats were used. Rats were separated into four groups; each group consists of six rats. Group I was control, group II was acetaminophen dosed group. While group III rats were pretreated with seaweed and then given acetaminophen and group IV rats were given seaweed only. Rats from group III and IV were pretreated daily for 14 days orally with ethanol extract of seaweed (200 mg/kg). Group I and II were orally administered distilled water daily for 14 days. Group II and III were intraperitoneally injected with acetaminophen (1 g/Kg) on day 14th. Liver enzymes (Alanine transaminase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate transaminase (ASAT), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and other biochemical parameter including (glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, bilirubin-total & bilirubin-direct) were estimated. Lipid peroxidation in liver was estimated by the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Histopathological analyses was also carried out. Two oily fractions eluted from the ethanol extract of S. indica through column chromatography were characterized by using GC-MS. Result The ethanol extract of S. indica was found to attenuate the adverse effect of acetaminophen on liver function and disorders of kidney and glucose metabolism in acetaminophen dosed rats. Evident from the lowering of the elevated level of bilirubin, urea and creatinine and blood glucose towards normal range, besides normalizing the cardiac and liver enzymes. These biochemical estimations were also confirmed by a histopathological study of liver. In column chromatography ethanol extract of S.indica yielded oily fractions, showed presence of various fatty acids when subjected to GC-MS analysis. Conclusion Our study showed the hepatoprotective role of ethanol extract of S. indica. It can be concluded that seaweed S.indica had therapeutic and preventive effect against acetaminophen induced hepatic oxidative stress may be due to the presence of methyl palmitate.

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