Abstract
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has been extensively exploited in folk medicine for the treatment of a number of ailments. Free radicals propagation has been implicated in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity, which is involved in lipid peroxidation (LPO). The present study was planned to evaluate the efficacy of saffron on CCl4-induced injuries in some organs of rats. Thirty male albino rats were used in the current study and divided into three groups; control, CCl4 group (0.5 ml/kg body wt.) and CCl4 + saffron (20 mg/kg body wt.). Specimens from livers, kidneys and lungs were taken for biochemical and histopathological studies. The results showed that the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), in addition to the concentration of glutathione (GSH) were decreased while malondialdehyde (MDA) level was increased after CCl4 administration. Also, different morphological changes and marked expression of Bax protein were detected. Treatment with saffron extract was effectively alleviated the alterations in the biochemical markers and morphological structure of liver, kidney and lung. The present study confirms the restoration of normalcy and accredits the ameliorative role of saffron against CCl4-induced toxicity.
Highlights
Toxicity is the capacity of a substance to cause destructive consequences for a solitary cell, a group of cells, an organ system, or the whole body
After one week of adaptation, rats were divided into 3 main groups (10 rats each): -The first group was served as a control group and received distilled water. -The second group was administered intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml/kg body wt. of CCl4 diluted in liquid olive oil (1:1) twice a week for four weeks (Eidi et al, 2012). -The third group was given CCL4 followed by oral administration with saffron extract at a dose of 20 mg/kg body wt., daily for four weeks (Sakr et al, 2014)
It is well established that CCl4 is a lipid-soluble potent agent that when bound to lipid and protein produces a degeneration in many tissues (Cabre et al, 2000)
Summary
Toxicity is the capacity of a substance to cause destructive consequences for a solitary cell, a group of cells, an organ system, or the whole body. Numerous chemical compounds found in the environment are harmful and require exact identification of their potential risks to both human and animal health. CCl4 is a widely utilized chemical dissolvable in different industrial procedures. Among different chemical substances that harm the liver, CCl4 is observed to be the most hepatotoxic (Assayed et al, 2010). The metabolism of CCl4 initiates reactive oxygen species (ROS) development through trichloromethyl (CCl3) radical and chloride (Cl) by means of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system (Adewole et al, 2007). In the presence of oxygen, CCl3 free radical further combines with cellular lipids and proteins to form a Citation: Egypt.
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