Investigation of the possible protective effect of Smilax fluminensis steud. leaf in mice subjected to oxidative stress by paracetamol

Ana Paula Simões Da Cunha,Ana Júlia Pasuch Gluzezak,Edith Eunice Arthur Petrica,Larissa Scremin Ferreira,Adilson Paulo Sinhorin,Valéria Dornelles Gindri Sinhorin

doi:10.14393/bj-v37n0a2021-53862

Abstract

Paracetamol (PCM) is a drug widely used by the population as an antipyretic and analgesic. If administered in high doses it can cause liver damage, leading to hepatoxicity. The genus Smilax, found in temperate and tropical regions, is traditionally used by the population through the extract of leaves and roots for several conditions, such as in the treatment of syphilis, diabetes, asthma and as a diuretic action. Through this, Smilax fluminensis leaf extracts were used to evaluate the protective effect against oxidative stress induced by a high dose of PCM in mice that received the drug and after receiving treatment with crude extract and fractions. Plasma analysis was performed using as partate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol, in addition to biochemical techniques such as catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (ASA), substances reactive to thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and carbonylated proteins (CARBONYL) of liver, brain and kidneys. Fraction 1 of the extract was the most promising, decreasing the plasma levels of AST and ALT, the levels of CAT and GST of the liver, together with GSH and in the renal and brain tissue there was a decrease in carbonylated proteins (PCM + F1 versus PCM ). Besides, fraction 1 proved to be hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic. It is concluded that fraction 1 of Smilax fluminensis leaves has good antioxidant activity in the face of the damage caused by the high dose of paracetamol.

Highlights

Oxidative stress is a result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrogen (ERN) and the antioxidant defense system present in the body (Sahu et al 2010)
The dosed non-enzymatic antioxidants were reduced glutathione (GSH) determined according to the method of Sedlack and Lindsay (1968) and the data expressed as μmol GSH mg protein-1 and ascorbic acid (ASA) which followed Roe's method (1954) and the results presented in μmol ASA g-1 tissue
Increased levels of hepatic MDA, an important reactive aldehyde that results from the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, are indicative of a causal role of lipid peroxidation resulting from liver damage induced by PCM (Adam et al 2016)

Summary

Introduction

Oxidative stress is a result of the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrogen (ERN) and the antioxidant defense system present in the body (Sahu et al 2010). When such a balance tends towards an excessive production of these compounds or a deficiency of the antioxidant systems, the oxidative stress condition arises, which is harmful to the cellular components and to the individuals as a whole (Carocho and Ferreira 2013). Paracetamol-induced toxicity (N-acetyl-paminophenol, acetaminophen) in rats is one of the experimental models widely used to assess the hepatoprotective activity of plant extracts (Hussain et al 2014)

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Conclusion