Abstract
BackgroundZerumbone (ZER) is a major bioactive compound of Zingiber zerumbet, a wild ginger plant that has been documented to have anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. To investigate its hepatoprotective potential, this study was designed to determine the treatment effects of ZER on acute hepatotoxicity induced by paracetamol (PCM) in rats.MethodsThe control group was administered with phosphate buffer solution (PBS) while the other two groups received PCM alone (1000 mg/kg) and PCM + 25 mg/kg ZER, respectively, at 0 h and 4 h after PCM injection. After 24 h, the blood and liver were collected for differential white blood cell count, liver histological observation and biochemical analysis including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total protein concentration in serum and liver.ResultsTreatment with ZER was found to significantly reduce ALT (P = 0.041), AST (P = 0.044) and total hepatic protein (P = 0.045) in comparison to PCM-induced rats. Rats treated with ZER exhibited the normal structure of hepatocytes with no vacuolisation or necrosis and showed significantly reduced neutrophil count (P = 0.037). This finding suggests its ability to suppress the inflammatory processes caused by PCM overdosage and decrease the hepatocytes tendency to go through necrotic processes.ConclusionZER possessed protective activity against PCM-induced acute hepatotoxicity in a rat model.
Highlights
Paracetamol (PCM) is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that is widely used to reduce mild pain and headache
The rats treated with PCM showed a significantly higher activity of liver function markers, ALT and AST enzymes as compared to the control group (Table 1)
Administration of ZER at the dose of 25 mg/ kg after induction of hepatotoxicity by PCM significantly lowered the level of serum AST (P = 0.044) and ALT (P = 0.041)
Summary
Paracetamol (PCM) is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that is widely used to reduce mild pain and headache. PCM overdosage will lead to hepatic necrosis and lesion, kidney injury or even death to humans and experimental animals [2]. A reactive metabolite of PCM, N-acetyl-para-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), is believed to cause the hepatic damage in PCM overdosage [3]. Ginger is an example of a bioactive compound that is rapidly gaining popularity among the modern researchers. Zingiber zerumbet, which is locally known as ‘lempoyang’, is wild. Zerumbone (ZER) is a major bioactive compound of Zingiber zerumbet, a wild ginger plant that has been documented to have anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. To investigate its hepatoprotective potential, this study was designed to determine the treatment effects of ZER on acute hepatotoxicity induced by paracetamol (PCM) in rats
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