Effect of alcoholic extract of black currant (Vitis vinifera L.) on hepatic function and damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and methionine overload in rats

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the prophylactic effect of alcoholic extract of black currant on some physiological parameters related with liver disease in male rats treated with H2O2 and methionine overload. Fifty adult male rats were divided randomly into five equal groups and were treated as following for 42 days: Rats in the first group (C) received normal tap water and considered as a control group; the second group (T 1) received 0.5% H2O2 in drinking water, while rats of the third group (T 2) were intubated daily with 100 mg/kg B.W. of methionine; animals in the fourth group (T3) received orally 60mg/kg B.W. of alcoholic extract of black currant plus 0.5% H2O2 in drinking water and rats in the fifth group (T 4) intubated daily with methionine plus alcoholic extract of black currant orally. Fasting blood samples were collected at 0, 21, and 42 days of experiment to study the following parameters: serum concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC) and total serum protein (TSP). Furthermore sections of liver were assessed for histological studies. The results revealed that administration of 0.5%H2O2 in drinking water (T1) and oral intubation of methionine(T 2) for 42 days caused significant increase (P< 0.05) in serum ALT, AST, ALP and TC with significant decrease (P< 0.05) in TSP concentration as compared to other groups, on the other hand the animals treated with 0.5%H2O2 plus 60mg/kg alcoholic extract of black currant (T3) showed significant decline in level of ALT, AST, ALP and TC concentrations with significant elevation in TSP concentration comparing to (T 1) and control group. The results also showed that oral intubation of alcoholic extract of black currant plus methionine (T4) significantly decrease (P<0.05) the serum concentrations of ALT, AST, ALP and TC with significant elevation of TSP concentration comparing to methionine group (T 2) and control group. Histological studies revealed the treatment of animals with H2O2 or methionine initiated hepatic damage. While alcoholic extract of black currant showed mild regression of lesion. It seems that alcoholic extract of black currant exert protective actions against H2O2 and methionine overload induced oxidative stress and change in some biological markers related to liver disease.