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Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5(6):549-557. doi:10.7150/ijbs.5.549 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Protective Effects of Garlic and Silymarin on NDEA-Induced Rats Hepatotoxicity

Sabry M Shaarawy^1*, Amany A Tohamy^2*, Saad M. Elgendy¹, Zakaria Y Abd Elmageed^2,4, Abeer Bahnasy⁴, Maha S Mohamed², Emad Kandil^{3 ✉}, Khalid Matrougui^{4 ✉}

1. Departments of Cancer Biology and Pathology, National Research Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt;
2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt;
3. Department of Surg-Oncology T, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, LA, USA;
4. Department of Physiology and Hypertension, Tulane University Medical School, New Orleans, LA, USA.
* Both authors are distributed equally to this work.

✉ Correspondence to: Khalid Matrougui, Ph.D. Department of Physiology, Hypertension and Renal Center of Excellence, Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans LA-70112. Phone-(504)-889-2588, Fax-(504)-988-2675, email: kmatrougedu; Emad Kandil, MD. Department of Surg-Oncology, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans LA-70112, Phone-(504)-988-7485, email: ekandiledu More

Abstract

Background ­— The present study was conducted to investigate the chemopreventive effects of garlic extract and silymarin on N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats. Methods and Results — Animals were pretreated with garlic, silymarin or both for one week prior to the injection of NDEA. Then animals received a single injection of NDEA followed by weekly subcutaneous injections of CCl₄ for 6 weeks. Oral administration was then continued along with the injection of CCl₄ for the duration of the experiment. Serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GSR) were measured. Injection of NDEA induced a significant elevation in serum AST, ALT and ALP. In the liver, NDEA increased oxidative stress through the increase in LPO and decrease in SOD, and GSH-dependent enzymes. Although administration of garlic or silymarin significantly reduced the liver toxicity, combined administration was more effective in preventing the development of hepatotoxicity. Conclusion — These novel findings suggest that silymarin and garlic have a synergistic effect, and could be used as hepatoprotective agents against hepatotoxicity.

Keywords: Hepatotoxicity, NDEA, Garlic, Silymarin, liver enzymes, oxidative stress, rats.

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