Raphanus sativus extract prevents and ameliorates zearalenone-induced peroxidative hepatic damage in Balb/c mice.
OBJECTIVE
Raphanus sativus (radish) is a species of crucifer, which includes widely consumed vegetables, distributed in Asia, Africa and Europe. It is a rich source of bioactive molecules including anthocyanins, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and other flavonoids, and miscellaneous phenolic substances. We have evaluated the hepatoprotection of R. sativus extract against zearalenone, an estrogenic mycotoxin initiating hepatotoxicity in male Balb/c mice.


METHODS
Animals were divided into seven treatment groups and treated orally each day for twenty eight days as follows: a control, an olive oil group, group I, group II, and group III treated with radish extract alone (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, respectively), group IV treated with zearalenone (40 mg/kg), and group V treated with zearalenone plus the lowest dose of radish extract.


RESULTS
Administration of zearalenone alone resulted in significant decreases in the levels of alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in the liver, suggesting hepatic damage. Moreover, a marked increase in the level of lipid peroxide and concomitant decrease of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, RNA and DNA concentrations were also observed in the liver tissue of zearalenone-treated mice. Co-treatment with R. sativus extract plus zearalenone succeeded in reversing the condition back to normal levels for all studied parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
By itself R. sativus extract did not show any toxic effects and could be considered as a potent hepatoprotectant.
Salah-Abbès
Jalila Ben
JB
Laboratory of Immunology, Environmental Microbiology and Cancerology, Faculty of Sciences Bizerte, Zarzouna, Tunisia. jalila.bensalah@yahoo.fr
Abbès
Samir
S
Haous
Zohra
Z
Oueslati
Ridha
R
D000818:Animals; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D031224:Raphanus / Q000737:chemistry*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000633:toxicity*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D013481:Superoxides; D015025:Zearalenone; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA