title: Comparative assessment of onion and garlic extracts on endogenous hepatic and renal antioxidant status in rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite growing claims of functional health benefits in folkloric medicine, the safety of chronic/elevated intakes of onion and garlic cannot be assumed. Therefore, this study assesses oral administration of varied doses of onion and garlic on some biomarkers of hepatic and renal functions in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were divided into five groups: control group received vehicle and extract-treated groups received varied doses of onion or garlic extract (0.5 mL and 1.0 mL/100 g bwt/day) for 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both doses of onion caused marked (p<0.05) increase in hepatic and renal levels of glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and marked (p<0.05) decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA). Treatment with low dose of garlic elicited similar trend except in hepatic CAT, renal SOD and GST levels. A high dose of garlic only caused marked (p<0.05) increase in hepatic GST, renal GST, and SOD. Both doses of onion and low dose of garlic significantly (p<0.05) enhanced renal Na+/K+-ATPase activity. Only a high dose of onion caused significant (p<0.05) increase in hepatic aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and decrease in plasma AST activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest antioxidant enhancing capability for both doses of onion and low dose of garlic, while high dose of garlic elicited pro-oxidant conditions.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Suru
authors.forename: Chidiebere E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ugwu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015415:Biomarkers; D002374:Catalase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005737:Garlic; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D019697:Onions; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D005978:Glutathione