Abstract
Purpose: To explore the hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase effects of the medicinal plant Ziziphus spina-christi (L.).
 Methods: Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) methanol extract (ZS-1) and its ethyl-acetate (ZS-2), n-butanol (ZS3), and aqueous (ZS-4) fractions were evaluated for their hepatoprotective, anti-amylase, and antiglucosidase activities. Adult male Wister rats were divided into 11 groups (I- XI) with 6 mice per group. Group I was normal control, while the treatment groups were as follows: group II, CCl4; group III, Silymarin + CCl4; group IV, Ziziphus spina-christi total methanol extract (ZS-1), 100 mg/kg) + CCl4; group V, ZS-1 (200 mg/kg) + CCl4; group VI, ethyl acetate fraction (ZS-2), 100 mg/kg + CCl4; group VII: ZS-2 (200 mg/kg) + CCl4; group VIII, butanol fraction (ZS-3), 100 mg/kg) + CCl4; group IX, ZS-3 (200 mg/kg) + CCl4; group X, aqueous fraction (ZS-4), 100 mg/kg) + CCl4; group XI: ZS-4 (200 mg/kg) + CCl4. Silymarin was used as the standard. Biomarkers of liver and kidney toxicity and histopathological changes were evaluated.
 Results: Liver and kidney malondialdehyde (MDA), non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) and total protein levels were elevated in CCl4-treated rats; however, ZS-1 and ZS-4 of Z. spina-christi significantly reduced these levels. ZS-2 and ZS-3 did not significantly improve the studied parameters. These results were confirmed by results from histopathological examination. ZS-1 and ZS-2 showed mild inhibitory activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase (54 and 43 % at 100 µg/ml, respectively).
 Conclusion: The results indicate that ZS-1 and ZS-4 samples displayed dose-dependent hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects, whereas ZS-2 and ZS-3 samples did not exhibit these effects. Similarly, α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes are considerably inhibited by ZS-1 and ZS-2.
Highlights
Many environmental impurities, drugs, chemicals, and antibiotics exert numerous adverse effects on the kidney, liver, intestine, and heart [1]
Treatment with ZS-1 (100 mg/kg), ZS-1 (200 mg/kg), ZS-4 (100 mg/kg), and ZS-4 (200 mg/kg) reduced these elevated levels compared to the levels in the CCl4-only group, and high dose (200 mg/kg of body weight) ZS-1 and ZS-4 treatment showed almost similar effects to silymarin treatment (10 mg/kg body weight)
Administering ZS-2 (100 mg/kg), ZS-2 (200 mg/kg), and ZS-3 (100 mg/kg) did not lead to significant results when compared to those observed in the CCl4 only group (Table 2)
Summary
Drugs, chemicals, and antibiotics exert numerous adverse effects on the kidney, liver, intestine, and heart [1]. The liver is a remarkably important organ with the critical function of regulating physiological activities. It is involved in almost all biochemical processes in the body such as development, nutrient delivery, disease progression, reproduction, and energy provision. The liver is often damaged by one’s surrounding environment, toxins, alcohols, and over-thecounter treatments, leading to hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver disorders [3]. Diabetes is an advanced metabolic disease of glucose metabolism, and in the long-term, leads to microvascular variations [5]
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