Hepatoprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Curcuma longa on thioacetamide induced liver cirrhosis in rats

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2013-03, Vol.13 (1), p.56-56, Article 56
• Main Authors: Salama, Suzy M, Abdulla, Mahmood Ameen, AlRashdi, Ahmed S, Ismail, Salmah, Alkiyumi, Salim S, Golbabapour, Shahram
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Alcohol; Alcohol, Denatured; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antigens; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Aquatic plants; Biological products; Bone morphogenetic proteins; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - metabolism; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; Chemical properties; Curcuma; Cytochrome P-450; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Drug dosages; Ethanol; Health aspects; Hepatocytes - drug effects; Histopathology; Immunohistochemistry; Laboratory animals; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - metabolism; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - pathology; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental - prevention & control; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Medical research; Medicinal plants; Medicine; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Prevention; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rhizome; Rodents; Studies; Thioacetamide; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 - metabolism; Transforming growth factors; Tumor necrosis factor; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Turmeric; Wound healing
• ISSN: 1472-6882; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-56

Hepatology research has focused on developing traditional therapies as pharmacological medicines to treat liver cirrhosis. Thus, this study evaluated mechanisms of the hepatoprotective activity of Curcuma longa rhizome ethanolic extract (CLRE) on thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. The hepatoprotective effect of CLRE was measured in a rat model of thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis over 8 weeks. Hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 and serum levels of TGF-β1 and TNF-α were evaluated. Oxidative stress was measured by malondialdehyde, urinary 8-hydroxyguanosine and nitrotyrosine levels. The protective activity of CLRE free-radical scavenging mechanisms were evaluated through antioxidant enzymes. Protein expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins in animal blood sera was studied and confirmed by immunohistochemistry of Bax, Bcl2 proteins and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and liver biochemistry were significantly lower in the Curcuma longa-treated groups compared with controls. CLRE induced apoptosis, inhibited hepatocytes proliferation but had no effect on hepatic CYP2E1 levels. The progression of liver cirrhosis could be inhibited by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of CLRE and the normal status of the liver could be preserved.