ISSN 2756-3707
International Journal of Histology and Cytology ISSN 2756-3707 Vol. 9 (8), pp. 001-008, August, 2022. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Protective effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on adriamycin - induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats
Saber A. Sakr1, Hoda A. Mahran1 and Hawazen A. Lamfon2
1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Egypt.
2Department of Biology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia.
Accepted 2 July, 2022
Abstract
The effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) upon hepatotoxicity induced in albino rats by the anticancer drug, adriamycin (ADR) was studied. Animals were divided into four groups. The first group was injected intraperitonealy with ADR at a dose level of 2 mg/kg body weight in sterile saline, once per week for 6 weeks. The second group was treated with ADR at the same dose level as those of group 1 followed by oral administration of 1 ml of final aqueous extract of ginger (24 mg/ml) 3 times weekly for 6 weeks. Animals in third group were given ginger only and those in the fourth group were served as normal controls. Injecting animals with ADR induced various histological changes in the liver. These changes include congestion of blood vessels, leucocytic infiltration, cytoplasmic vacuolization of the hepatocytes and fatty infiltration. Adriamycin caused significant elevation in serum ALT (Alanine aminotransferase) and AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) enzymes after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment. It also caused an increase in malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation marker) and depletion of the antoxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Treating animals with water extract of ginger and adriamycin led to an improvement in the histological changes induced by adriamycin together with significant decrease in ALT and AST activity. Moreover, ginger reduced the level of malondialdehyde and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase. The results of the present work indicated that ginger had protective effect against liver damage induced by adriamycin and this is due to its antioxidant activities.
Key words: Ginger, adriamycin, liver, histology, transaminases.