Protective Effect of Emblica officinalis Against Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Injury by Ameliorating Oxidative Stress in Rats

Abstract

The effect of Emblica officinalis fruit extract (EFE) against alcohol-induced hepatic damage in rats was investigated in the present study. In vitro studies showed that EFE possesses antioxidant as well nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity. In vivo administration of alcohol (5 g/kg b.wt/day) for 60 days resulted increased liver lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls, nitrite plus nitrate levels. Alcohol administration also significantly lowers the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase and reduced glutathione as compared with control rats. Administration of EFE (250 mg/kg body weight) to alcoholic rats significantly brought the plasma enzymes towards near normal level and also significantly reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyls and restored the enzymic and non-enzymatic antioxidants level. This observation was supplemented by histopathological examination in liver. Our data indicate that the tannoid, flavonoid and NO scavenging compounds present in EFE may offer protection against free radical mediated oxidative stress in rat hepatocytes of animals with alcohol-induced liver injury.

Keywords: Alcohol; Antioxidant enzymes; Emblica officinalis; Hepatotoxicity; Oxidative stress.

Fig. 1

Representative photomicrographs of livers in different experimental groups. Liver sections were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned and stained with hematoxylin–eosin. Liver sections from a control rats showed no signs of pathological changes in hepatocytes. b Alcohol-administered rat hepatocytes showed fibrosis, atrophy and nucleus is degenerated, whereas d EFE alone administered rat hepatocytes showed control rat signs (original magnification, ×100)