Title:Phytochemical Screening and Protective Effects of Prunus persica Seeds Extract on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Injury in Rats
Volume: 23
Issue: 1
Author(s): Sidra Rehman*, Rubina Nazar, Azeem Mehmood Butt, Bushra Ijaz, Nadia Tasawar, Ahmareen Khalid Sheikh, Imran Shahid, Shahid Masood Shah and Raheel Qamar
Affiliation:
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, 45550,Pakistan
Keywords:
CCl4, Acute oral toxicity, Prunus persica, Hepatoprotective activity, Oxidative stress, Peach seeds Antioxidant
activity.
Abstract:
Background and Purpose: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a dynamic environmental
toxin released from chemical factories and its concentration in the atmosphere is accelerating at
an alarming proportion. The potential presence of CCl4 in the human body causes liver injury via
free radical stimulated inflammatory responses.
Objectives: In this study, protective effects of hydromethanolic seeds extract of Prunus persica
(PPHM) were evaluated for free radical scavenging potential in CCl4 mediated acute liver toxicity
in the murine model.
Experimental Approach: Followed by acute oral toxicity analysis, liver cells of Sprague-Dawley
(SD) rats were treated with CCl4 and subsequently, the chemoprophylactic effect of extract (400
mg/Kg dose) was evaluated using in vivo studies including, silymarin as the positive control. Biochemical
parameters, staining (hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) and Masson’s Trichome) and
quantitative gene expression analysis via real-time PCR were used to evaluate hepatic damage
control.
Results: The results illustrated that PPHM extract exhibit strong anti-oxidant activity, comparable
to the positive control, gallic acid. Research study results also demonstrated that the extract treatment
at 400 mg/Kg concentration is highly effective in protecting liver damage due to CCl4 exposure.
Mechanistic investigations indicated that the therapeutic action of PPHM was correlated
with the increase in Nrf2, NQO-1 and decrease in collagen III mRNA genes expression compared
to CCl4 treated group.
Conclusions and Implications: Accordingly, our research study indicated that PPHM alleviated
CCl4-mediated oxidative stress through Nrf2/NQO-1 pathway, thereby protecting liver damage
against environmental toxins. Our findings provide supportive evidence to suggest PPHM as a
novel nontoxic hepatoprotective agent.
