THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF GREEN TEA AND CURCUMIN AGAINST 2, 3, 7, 8-TETRACHLORODIBENZO-P-DIOXIN (TCDD) INDUCED HEPATOTOXICIY IN ADULT MALE MICE

Abstract

Exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin (TCDD) as an environmental pollutant caused hepatotoxicity and tumor promotion. Recently researchers pay an attention to the power of green tea (GT) and curcumin (CUR) as natural antioxidants against cellular damage. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective role of GT and CUR against TCDD-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Fifty adult male mice were divided into 5 groups as follows: G1; control received vehicles, G2: treated with oral dose of TCDD (1.332 mg/kg bw) and left as positive control, G3, G4 and G5 were treated with GT (0.5 mg/kg bw), CUR (0.5 m /kg bw), and the combination of GT and CUR (1 mg/kg bw) 30 minutes before injection with oral dose of TCDD (1.332 mg/kg bw), respectively. After 30 days of daily treatment with the antioxidants and TCDD mice were killed for collection of liver. Histological studies using light and electron microscopy were done in addition to the estimation of antioxidants parameters; catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). Microscopically observations showed necrosis, inflammatory reactions, increased collagen, decreased polysaccharides and protein contents, and reduction in the antioxidants in the liver of mice treated with TCDD. However, the liver of mice treated with GT, CUR, and the combination showed improvement in the histological structure of the liver with enhancement in the antioxidants levels with the priority for the GT. In conclusion, TCDD induced histological and biochemical changes in the hepatic tissue and the ability of GT and/or CUR to prevent these changes was due to their activity as powerful antioxidants.