Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research paper was to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice.


METHODS
In the present study, the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid were evaluated against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and compared with the silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective drug. The mice received a single dose of paracetamol (900 mg/kg body weight i.p.). Gallic acid (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) and silymarin (25 mg/kg body weight i.p.) were administered 30 min after the injection of paracetamol. After 4 h, liver marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase) and inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were estimated in serum, while the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione) were determined in liver homogenate of the control and experimental mice.


RESULTS
Increased activities of liver marker enzymes and elevated TNF-alpha and lipid peroxidation levels were observed in mice exposed to paracetamol (P < 0.05), whereas the antioxidant status was found to be depleted (P < 0.05) when compared with the control group. However gallic acid treatment (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) significantly reverses (P < 0.05) the above changes by its antioxidant action compared to the control group as observed in the paracetamol-challenged mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The results clearly demonstrate that gallic acid possesses promising hepatoprotective effects.
Rasool
Mahaboob Khan
MK
School of Biosciences and Technology, VIT University, Tamil Nadu, India. mkr474@gmail.com
Sabina
Evan Prince
EP
Ramya
Segu R
SR
Preety
Pranatharthiharan
P
Patel
Smita
S
Mandal
Niharika
N
Mishra
Punya P
PP
Samuel
Jaisy
J
D000082:Acetaminophen; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000082:Acetaminophen; D005707:Gallic Acid