Hepatoprotective effect of acetonic and methanolic extracts of Heterotheca inuloides against CCl(4)-induced toxicity in rats.
A model of hepatotoxicity by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in rats was used in order to evaluate the protective potential of the acetonic and methanolic extracts of Heterotheca inuloides. Pretreatment with the two H. inuloides extracts attenuated the increase in the activity of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) observed in CCl(4)-induced liver injury. The protective effect was confirmed by the analysis of tissue slides stained with hematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid/Schiff's reagent. Additionally, the two extracts are scavengers to the superoxide radical as was observed by electron paramagnetic resonance. Due to the fact that the methanolic extract resulted in a better protective effect in the previous experiments, it was used to investigate in more detail the mechanism of hepatoprotection. Quercetin, one of the main components of the extract, with known hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity was used as a positive control. Pretreatment of animals with the methanolic extract or quercetin, was associated with the prevention of 4-hydroxynonenal and 3-nitrotyrosine increase in the liver, two markers of oxidative stress. Furthermore, the decrease in the activity of several antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in CCl(4)-induced liver injury was alleviated by the pretreatment with H. inuloides methanolic extract or quercetin. These results suggest that the hepatoprotective capacity of H. inuloides methanolic extract is associated with its antioxidant properties, which would also explain the biomedical properties attributed to this plant.
Laboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Insurgentes Sur 3700-C, 04530 México D.F., México.
Elvia
E
Coballase-Urrutia
José
J
Pedraza-Chaverri
Noemí
N
Cárdenas-Rodríguez
Bernardino
B
Huerta-Gertrudis
Mercedes Edna
ME
García-Cruz
Aline
A
Ramírez-Morales
Dolores Javier
DJ
Sánchez-González
Claudia María
CM
Martínez-Martínez
Rafael
R
Camacho-Carranza
Jesús Javier
JJ
Espinosa-Aguirre
D000096:Acetone; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D019659:Asteraceae; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D035264:Flowers; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000096:Acetone; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000432:Methanol