title: Protective effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice pretreatment in a model of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.
abstract: The main active ingredients of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) are phenolic substances, mainly flavonoids from the anthocyanin subclass.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of AMFJ applied as pretreatment in a model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  AMFJ was given orally to rats for 2 days at doses of 5, 10 and 20 ml/kg either alone or as pretreatment before the oral application of CCl4 (0.2 ml/kg, 2 days). The plasma activities of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were measured as markers of the liver cell damage. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, were determined in rat liver and plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of CCl4 caused an elevation of plasma AST and ALT activities. It also induced an elevation of MDA levels in rat liver and plasma. AMFJ applied alone in the tested doses did not cause any significant changes in the measured enzyme activities and in MDA levels. AMFJ applied as pretreatment prevented the CCl4-induced increase of AST and ALT activities, and also prevented the elevation of plasma and liver MDA levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AMFJ showed a protective effect in a model of CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. This effect might be due to the antioxidant activity of its active ingredients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Stefka V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Valcheva-Kuzmanova
authors.forename: Petia B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Popova
authors.forename: Bistra Tz
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Galunska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belcheva
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D046936:Photinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde