Hepatoprotective effects of Tribulus terrestris, Ashwagandha and N-acetylcysteine on liver fibrosis in carbon tetrachloride-induced rats

• Authors: Derya Altay , Yasar Dogan , Cemal Orhan , Mehmet Tuzcu , Nurhan Sahin , Ibrahim Ozercan , Kazım Sahin
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Background and Aim: Fibrosis, which develops during the progression of liver damage, is the previous stage of cirrhosis. Carbon tetrachloride is one of the most commonly used hepatic toxins in experimental animal models of liver fibrosis. It was investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Tribulus terrestris, Ashwagandha and N-acetylcysteine in an experimental model of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in this study. Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were divided into five groups of 10 each, as follows: 1) control, 2) carbon tetrachloride, 3) carbon tetrachloride plus N-acetylcysteine, 4) carbon tetrachloride plus T. terrestris, and 5) carbon tetrachloride plus Ashwagandha group. At the end of 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed, and serum and tissue samples were collected. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, malondialdehyde, NF-κB, collagen 1, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2, tumor necrosis factor-α were analyzed, and histopathological evaluation was performed. Results: There were no significant differences in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels of the N-acetylcysteine-treated group versus those in the T. terrestris- and Ashwagandha-treated groups (p>0.05). Liver malondialdehyde levels were lower in the N-acetylcysteine-, T. terrestris- and Ashwagandha-treated groups than in the carbon tetrachloride-administered group (p<0.001). There were differences between groups in NF-κB, collagen 1, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels (p<0.05). Conclusions: In conclusion, T. terrestris, Ashwagandha and N-acetylcysteine had protective effects on the liver in this experimental fibrosis model. T.Terrestris was a little more effective than Ashwagandha in combating liver fibrosis.

Keywords

EN

N-acetylcysteine; carbon tetrachloride; liver fibrosis; Ashwagandha; Tribulus terrestris

• Journal: Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica - Drug Research
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 76
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 805-813

Dates

published

2019-10-30

Contributors

author

Derya Altay

author

Yasar Dogan

author

Cemal Orhan

author

Mehmet Tuzcu

author

Nurhan Sahin

author

Ibrahim Ozercan

author

Kazım Sahin

Identifiers

DOI

10.32383/appdr/109201