Effect of some natural antioxidants on aflatoxin B1-induced hepatic toxicity
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Date
2008-05-08
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Abstract
Aflatoxins are potent hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agents. This hepatotoxicity is
thought to be mediated by their ability to generate reactive oxygen species and cause peroxidative
damage. In the present investigation we assessed the ability of some natural antioxidants
namely, vitamin E and Se, ß-carotene, silymarin and coenzyme Q10 on aflatoxin B1
(AFB1)-induced hepatotoxicity in a rat model. Alanine and aspartate aminotransferases and
alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were found to be significantly increased in the serum of AFB1
administered (250 µg/kg body weight/day for 2 weeks) rats, suggesting hepatic damage.
There was a marked increase in the lipid peroxide levels and a concomitant decrease in the
hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and serum protein thiol (PrSHs) along with a nearly twofold
increase in hepatic glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. The significant increase in
GST may be attributed to its being a phase ?? enzyme that predominately participates in the
detoxification of the ultimate electrophilic metabolite AFB1-8, 9 epoxide. On the other hand,
no significant change was detected in the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione
reductase (GR), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), cytochrome creductase
and levels of DNA and RNA in the hepatic tissue of AFB1 administered rats. Results
also revealed that cotreatment with studied antioxidants offered substantial hepatoprotective
effects in the AFB1 administered rats. Moreover, results revealed that vitamin E and selenium
combination and ß-carotene are more efficient than coenzyme Q10 and silymarin in
modulating the liver antioxidant enzymatic system.
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Keywords
Aflatoxin B1, antioxidants, liver, rats, selenium, silymarin, ß-carotene coenzyme Q10, vitamin E