Environmental Science and Pollution Research

, Volume 23, Issue 8, pp 7559–7571 | Cite as

Barium chloride induces redox status unbalance, upregulates cytokine genes expression and confers hepatotoxicity in rats—alleviation by pomegranate peel

  • Awatef Elwej
  • Yousri Grojja
  • Imen Ghorbel
  • Ons Boudawara
  • Raoudha Jarraya
  • Tahia Boudawara
  • Najiba Zeghal
Research Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

The present study was performed to establish the therapeutic efficacy of pomegranate peel against barium chloride induced liver injury. Adult rats were divided into four groups of six animals each: group I, serving as controls, received distilled water; group II received by their drinking water 67 ppm of BaCl2; group III received both 67 ppm of BaCl2 by the same way than group II and 5 % of pomegranate peel (PP) via diet; group IV received 5 % of PP. Analysis by HPLC/MS of PP showed its rich composition in flavonoids such as gallic acid, castalin, hyperin, quercitrin, syringic acid, and quercetin. The protective effects of pomegranate peel against hepatotoxicity induced by barium chloride were assessed using biochemical parameters and histological studies. Exposure of rats to barium caused oxidative stress in the liver as evidenced by an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs), H2O2 and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (AST) and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT) activities, a decrease in catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, glutathion (GSH), non-protein thiol (NPSH), vitamin C levels, and Mn-SOD gene expression. Liver total MT levels, MT-1, and MT-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine genes expression like TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were increased. Pomegranate peel, supplemented in the diet of barium-treated rats, showed an improvement of all the parameters indicated above.

The present work provided ethnopharmacological relevance of pomegranate peel against the toxic effects of barium, suggesting its beneficial role as a potential antioxidant.

Keywords

Barium chloride Rats Hepatotoxicity Pro-inflammatory cytokines Metallothionein genes expression Pomegranate peel 

Abbreviations

ALT

Alanine aminotransferase

AOPP

Advanced oxidation protein product

AST

Aspartate aminotransferase

Ba

Barium

BaCl2

Barium chloride

CAT

Catalase

DNA

Desoxyribonucleic acid

DNPH

Dinitrophenyl hydrazine

DTNB

5,5-Dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid

FP

Forward primer

GAPDH

Glyceraldehyde 3- phosphate dehydrogenase

GGT

Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase

GPx

Glutathione peroxidase

GSH

Glutathion

H2O2

Hydrogen peroxide

HPLC

High-performance liquid chromatography

IL1-β

Interleukin-1β

IL-6

Interleukin-6

LDH

Lactate dehydrogenase

LD50

Lethal dose

LOOHs

Lipid hydroperoxides

MDA

Malondialdehyde

NPSH

Non-protein thiol

PP

Pomegranate peel

PPE

Pomegranate peel extract

RNA

Ribonucleic acid

ROS

Reactive oxygen species

RP

Reverse primer

SOD

Superoxide dismutase

TBA

Thiobarbituric acid

TBARS

Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances

TNF-α

Tumor necrosis factor-α

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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia (UR/ 11ES-70). The authors are indebted to Mrs Raoudha Ben Amar Abdennadher and to Mr Chedly TMAR for their skilful technical assistance.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

The general guidelines for the use and care of living animals in scientific investigations were followed (Council of European Communities 1986). The handling of the animals was approved by the Tunisian Ethical Committee for the Care and Use of laboratory animals.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Awatef Elwej
    • 1
  • Yousri Grojja
    • 2
  • Imen Ghorbel
    • 1
  • Ons Boudawara
    • 3
  • Raoudha Jarraya
    • 2
  • Tahia Boudawara
    • 3
  • Najiba Zeghal
    • 1
    • 4
  1. 1.Animal Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of SfaxSfaxTunisia
  2. 2.Chemistry of Natural Substances Laboratory, Faculty of SciencesUniversity of SfaxSfaxTunisia
  3. 3.Anatomopathology laboratory, CHU Habib BourguibaUniversity of SfaxSfaxTunisia
  4. 4.Animal Physiology Laboratory, UR11/ ES 70, Sciences Faculty of SfaxUniversity of SfaxSfaxTunisia

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