Cell Biology and Toxicology

, 25:425 | Cite as

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

  • Panneerselvam Janani
  • Kanakarajan Sivakumari
  • Chandrakesan Parthasarathy
Article
First Online:
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Accepted:

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Antioxidants Bacoside A Hepatotoxicity Lipid peroxidation N-Nitrosodiethylamine 

Abbreviations

ALT

alanine transaminase

ALP

alkaline phosphatases

AST

aspartate transaminase

CAT

catalase

DEN

N-nitrosodiethylamine

GGT

γ-glutamyl transpeptidase

GPx

glutathione peroxidase

GR

glutathione reductase

GSH

reduced glutathione

GST

glutathione-S-transferase

LDH

lactate dehydrogenase

LPO

lipid peroxidation

MDA

malondialdehyde

ROS

reactive oxygen species

SOD

superoxide dismutase

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Notes

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to acknowledge Nivaran Herbal, Chennai, India, for gifting crude bacoside A and Natural Remedies, Bangalore, India, for gifting standard bacoside A to carry on the research work.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Panneerselvam Janani
    • 1
  • Kanakarajan Sivakumari
    • 1
  • Chandrakesan Parthasarathy
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of ZoologyPresidency CollegeChennaiIndia
  2. 2.Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical SciencesUniversity of MadrasChennaiIndia

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