Influence of olive and rosemary leaves extracts on chemically induced liver cirrhosis in male rats

Abstract

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the protective activity of olive and rosemary leaves extracts on experimental liver cirrhosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in Wistar male rats. Highly significant decline in the values of body weight gain and highly statistically increase of liver/body weight ratio were noted in rats treated with TAA. Furthermore, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin were statistically increased. Additionally, light microscopic examination of liver sections from rats treated with TAA showed a marked increase in the extracellular matrix collagen content and bridging fibrosis was prominent. There were bundles of collagen surrounding the lobules that resulted in large fibrous septa and distorted tissue architecture. Interestingly, the findings of this experimental study indicated that the extracts of olive and rosemary leaves and their combination possess hepatoprotective properties against TAA-induced hepatic cirrhosis by inhibiting the physiological and histopathological alterations. Moreover, these results suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of these extracts may be attributed to their antioxidant activities.

Keywords: Liver cirrhosis; Olive leaves; Rats; Rosemary leaves; Thioacetamide.

Figure 1

Changes of body weight in control (group 1), TAA (group 2), TAA plus olive leaves extract (group 3), TAA plus rosemary leaves extract (group 4), TAA plus olive and rosemary leaves extracts (group 5), olive leaves extract (group 6), rosemary leaves extract (group 7), and olive and rosemary leaves extracts (group 8) treated rats.

Figure 2

Changes of liver /body weight ratio in control, TAA, TAA plus olive leaves extract, TAA plus rosemary leaves extract, TAA plus olive and rosemary leaves extracts, olive leaves extract, rosemary leaves extract, and olive and rosemary leaves extracts treated rats.

Figure 3

(A–L) Photomicrographs of liver sections in each group. (A) control (200×), (B and C) TAA (40× and 200×), (D and E) TAA plus olive leaves extract (100× and 200×), (F and G) TAA plus rosemary leaves extract (100× and 200×), (H and I) TAA plus olive and rosemary leaves extracts (100× and 200×), (J) olive leaves extract (200×), (K) rosemary leaves extract (200×), and (L) olive and rosemary leaves extracts (200×) treated rats.