Preventive role of chamomile flowers and fennel seeds extracts against liver injury and oxidative stress induced by an immunosuppressant drug in rats

Abstract

Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of chamomile flowers (CFME) and fennel seeds methanolic (FSME) extracts on azathioprine (AZA), an immunosuppressant drug, which induced liver injury and oxidative stress in rats.

Methods: Rats were divided into 6 groups (8 rats each) and treated orally for 28 consecutive days as follows. Group 1: rats were given normal saline and used as controls; group 2: rats treated with CFME (200 mg/kg); group 3: rats treated with FSME (200 mg/kg); group 4: rats treated with AZA (25 mg/kg); groups 5 and 6: rats treated with CFME (200 mg/kg) or FSME (200 mg/kg) 15 min prior to AZA (25 mg/kg) treatment. At the end of experimental period, blood and liver samples were collected from all groups for the biochemical analysis and histological examination.

Results: The obtained data revealed that AZA induced hepatic injury in the rats as evidenced by the significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phospatase, cholesterol, and direct bilirubin as well as hepatic malondialdehyde level accompanied with significant decrease in reduced glutathione content and total antioxidant capacity in the liver. Moreover, body weight gain showed significant decrease and relative liver weight showed significant increase on AZA treatment. The sequential significant changes in biochemical parameters were accompanied by severe histological changes in the liver tissue, including hepatocytes disorganization with pyknotic nuclei, fatty degeneration, congestion, fibrosis and bile duct necrosis around the portal tract. Areas of hemorrhages in blood vessels and in between hepatocytes were also seen. However, the results showed potential hepatoprotective effects of CFME and FSME against AZA-induced liver injury and oxidative stress. They succeeded to restore the biochemical parameters and improve the histological picture of the liver. This improvement was more pronounced in the rats pretreated with FSME.

Conclusion: It could be concluded that CFME and FSME have hepatoprotective potentials against AZA probably due to their antioxidant properties and radical scavenging activity.

Keywords

Azathioprine / chamomile flowers / fennel seeds / liver / oxidative stress

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