Dietary supplementation of Phoenix dactylifera L. seeds decreases pro-inflammatory mediators in CCl4-induced rats

Abstract

Introduction: Low immunity causes the body to become more easily infected, resulting in inflammation. If the immune system is functioning properly, this inflammation will end in healing. The immune system has a protective role in the body, and its anti-inflammatory role is vital. During trauma, the initial immune response is marked by inflammation. The use of date-seed extract, although not steeped date seeds, has been studied as an anti-inflammatory agent. This study is aimed at demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effect of steeped date seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in rats with CCl4-induced inflammation.Methods: This experiment included a pre- and post-test with control group design. Male Wistar rats (approximately 2–3 months of age, ranging in weight from 150 to 200 g) were assigned to the following groups: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), T1 treatment dose 1 g/kg, T3 treatment dose 3 g/kg, T5 treatment dose 5 g/kg, and healthy control (HC). Groups 1–5 were subjected to CCl4 induction at a single dose of 2 mL/kg before treatment. The levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), glutathione (GSH), and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) were compared in groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by a least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test for comparisons between means.Results: Levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), GSH, and IFN-γ were significantly different among the HC and treatment groups after CCl4 induction. After 14 days of steeped date-seed treatment, TNF-α decreased, but GSH and IFN-γ levels increased significantly (P = 0.001).Conclusion: Administration of steeped date seeds at a dose of 5 g/kg can increase GSH and IFN-γ, and decrease TNF-α, the strongest inflammatory marker in CCl4-induced rats. The findings of this study indicate that date-seed supplementation can support body immunity by regulating pro-inflammatory mediators.