Antioxidant and proapoptotic effects of anthocyanins from bilberry extract in rats exposed to hepatotoxic effects of carbon tetrachloride.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to determine the hepatoprotective effects of anthocyanins from bilberry extract in rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) by monitoring the parameters of oxidative stress and apoptosis, and by performing the histopathological and morphometric analyses.


METHODS
Animals were divided into four groups: Group I (0.9% NaCl-10days), Group II (bilberry extract, 75mg/kg-10days), Group III (0,9% NaCl-9days, and on the tenth day CCl4-2ml/kg), Group IV (bilberry extract, 75mg/kg-10days and on the tenth day CCl4-2ml/kg).


RESULTS
Bilberry extract led to a significant decrease in the activity of biochemical parameters in serum (AST, GGT, LDH, and ALT), the activity of pro-oxidative enzyme xanthine oxidase, as well as the level of lipid peroxidation in the liver in Group IV compared to Group III (p<0.01). Bilberry extract resulted in a significant increase in the activity of the antioxidant markers-catalase (p<0.05), superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase (p<0.01), and the concentration of reduced glutathione (p<0.05) in Group IV in relation to Group III. The application of bilberry extract resulted in an increase in the number of apoptotic hepatocytes and the activity of caspase-3 in the liver tissue (p<0.01). The reduction of coagulation necrotic areas was proved (p<0.001) as well as the number of macrovesicular hepatocytes (p<0.01), along with an increased mitotic activity (p<0.01) in Group IV compared to Group III.


CONCLUSIONS
Anthocyanins from bilberry extract have strong antioxidant properties and therefore can be considered as powerful hepatoprotectives in natural products.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: dena.popovic@mts.rs.
Dejan
D
Popović
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: davordjukic@yahoo.com.
Davor
D
Đukić
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: vuka.katic@gmail.com.
Vukica
V
Katić
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: profzoricajovic1953@gmail.com.
Zorica
Z
Jović
Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: markojovic10@yahoo.com.
Maja
M
Jović
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: lalic.jelena@gmail.com.
Jelena
J
Lalić
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: golubovicilija@yahoo.com.
Ilija
I
Golubović
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: mimtroska@gmail.com.
Svetlana
S
Stojanović
Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: natasa.poklar@bf.uni-lj.si.
Nataša Poklar
NP
Ulrih
Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: marko.stankovic018@gmail.com.
Marko
M
Stanković
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000 Niš, Serbia. Electronic address: soko@medfak.ni.ac.rs.
Dušan
D
Sokolović
D000818:Animals; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D029800:Vaccinium myrtillus / Q000737:chemistry*
D000872:Anthocyanins; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride
Anthocyanins; Antioxidant; Bilberry; Carbon tetrachloride; Proapoptotic activity