Protective effect of Amaranthus lividus L. on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Objective: Amaranthus lividus is consumed as popular vegetable in West Black Sea Region of Turkey. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the protective and antioxidant effects of A. lividus on carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) induced oxidative stress and acute liver injury in rats. Methods: Male albino Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups: Normal control, A. lividus control, silymarin control, CCl 4 , A. lividus (250 mg/kg)+CCl 4 , A. lividus (500 mg/kg)+CCl 4 , silymarin+CCl 4 . Rats were orally pretreated with A. lividus (250 and 500 mg/kg) or silymarin (25 mg/kg) daily for 9 days before administration of CCl 4 (1.5 mL/kg, 1:1 in olive oil, i.p.). Results: Pretreatment of rats with A. lividus, significantly prevented the CCl 4 induced elevation in the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin and hepatic lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase. In addition, pretreatment with A. lividus significantly prevented the CCl 4 induced depletion in the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione level in liver. It has been observed that the hepatoprotective effect of A. lividus was comparable to that of silymarin, a standard drug. Histopathological evaluation of the liver also revealed that A. lividus at 250 mg/kg dose partially suppressed the CCl 4 induced liver damage in rats. Conclusion: Our results indicated that A. lividus has a protective effect against CCl 4 induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats, and this effect might be related to its antioxidant activity.