Hepatoprotective activity of bacoside A against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced liver toxicity in adult rats

• Published in: Cell biology and toxicology Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 425 - 434
• Main Authors: Janani, Panneerselvam, Sivakumari, Kanakarajan, Parthasarathy, Chandrakesan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-10-2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants; Bacopa monniera; Bacoside A; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body weight; Carcinogens; Cell Biology; Diethylnitrosamine - toxicity; Environmental factors; Hepatotoxicity; Life Sciences; Lipid Peroxidation; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Male; N-Nitrosodiethylamine; Oxidative stress; Peroxidation; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Protected species; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Saponins - pharmacology; Studies; Toxicity; Triterpenes - pharmacology; Antioxidants; Lipid peroxidation; Bacoside A; Hepatotoxicity; Nitrosodiethylamine
• ISSN: 0742-2091; 1573-6822
• DOI: 10.1007/s10565-008-9096-4

N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) is a notorious carcinogen, present in many environmental factors. DEN induces oxidative stress and cellular injury due to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species; free radical scavengers protect the membranes from DEN-induced damage. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of bacoside A (the active principle isolated from Bacopa monniera Linn.) on carcinogen-induced damage in rat liver. Adult male albino rats were pretreated with 15 mg/kg body weight/day of bacoside A orally (for 14 days) and then intoxicated with single necrogenic dose of N-nitrosodiethylamine (200 mg/kg bodyweight, intraperitonially) and maintained for 7 days. The liver weight, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and activity of serum marker enzymes (aspartate transaminases, alanine transaminases, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase) were markedly increased in carcinogen-administered rats, whereas the activities of marker enzymes were near normal in bacoside A-pretreated rats. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutatione-S-transferase, and reduced glutathione) in liver also decreased in carcinogen-administered rats, which were significantly elevated in bacoside A-pretreated rats. It is concluded that pretreatment of bacoside A prevents the elevation of LPO and activity of serum marker enzymes and maintains the antioxidant system and thus protects the rats from DEN-induced hepatotoxicity.