Protective effects of extracts from Pomegranate peels and seeds on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Wei-jin Zang³  Ming Zhao³  A-li Luo⁴  Guo-xia Ren⁴  Xue-yuan Bi³  Yong-hua Yang¹  Ru-tang Fang²  Xiang-lan Wei⁴ 

[1] Department of pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, People’s Republic of China;Department of Gastroenterology, The 451 Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Xi’an 710054, People’s Republic of China;Department of Pharmacology, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76 Yanta West Road, Xi’an 710061, People’s Republic of China;Department of Pharmacy, Xi’an Chest Hospital, Xi’an 710061, People’s Republic of China

关键词: Oxidative stress;    Liver fibrosis;    The extract of pomegranate seeds;    The extract of pomegranate peels;   

Others  :  1233210
DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-015-0916-9

 received in 2015-03-17, accepted in 2015-10-14,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

Liver fibrosis is a feature in the majority of chronic liver diseases and oxidative stress is considered to be its main pathogenic mechanism. Antioxidants including vitamin E, are effective in preventing liver fibrogenesis. Several plant-drived antioxidants, such as silymarin, baicalin, beicalein, quercetin, apigenin, were shown to interfere with liver fibrogenesis. The antioxidans above are polyphenols, flavonoids or structurally related compounds which are the main chemical components of Pomegranate peels and seeds, and the antioxidant activity of Pomegranate peels and seeds have been verified. Here we investigated whether the extracts of pomegranate peels (EPP) and seeds (EPS) have preventive efficacy on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl ₄ ) in rats and explored its possible mechanisms.

Methods

The animal model was established by injection with 50 % CCl ₄subcutaneously in male wistar rats twice a week for four weeks. Meanwhile, EPP and EPS were administered orally every day for 4 weeks, respectively. The protective effects of EPP and EPS on biochemical metabolic parameters, liver function, oxidative markers, activities of antioxidant enzymes and liver fibrosis were determined in CCl ₄ -induced liver toxicity in rats.

Results

Compared with the sham group, the liver function was worse in CCl ₄group, manifested as increased levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin. EPP and EPS treatment significantly ameliorated these effects of CCl ₄ . EPP and EPS attenuated CCl ₄ –induced increase in the levels of TGF-β1, hydroxyproline, hyaluronic acid laminin and procollagen type III. They also restored the decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and inhibited the formation of lipid peroxidized products in rats treated with CCl ₄ .

Conclusion

The EPP and EPS have protective effects against liver fibrosis induced by CCl ₄ , and its mechanisms might be associated with their antioxidant activity, the ability of decreasing the level of TGF-β1 and inhibition of collagen synthesis.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Wei et al.

【 图 表 】

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