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Antioxidant Properties of Amaranthus hypochondriacus Seeds and their Effect on the Liver of Alcohol-Treated Rats

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Abstract

Amaranth constitutes a valuable pseudocereal, due to its nutritional quality and its nutraceutical properties, which contribute to improve human health. This work evaluated the effect of a diet based on Amaranthus hypochondriacus (Ah) seed on oxidative stress and antioxidant status in the liver of rats sub-chronically exposed to ethanol. The seed extract was investigated for antioxidant capacity in vitro, showing an adequate content of total phenols and antioxidant activity elevated. For in vivo assays, four groups of six rats each were fed with an AIN-93 M diet for 28 days. In groups III and IV casein was replaced by Ah as the protein source; groups II and IV were received ethanol in the drinking water (20% v/v). When comparing groups IV and II, the following was observed: significant decrease in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and content of malondialdehyde (p < 0.001) in serum; decrease of malondialdehyde and increase in the activity and gene expression of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, also, decrease in the NADPH oxidase transcript levels (p < 0.05) in liver. Our data suggest that Ah is a good source of total phenols and exerts a protective effect in serum and in liver of rats intoxicated with ethanol.

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Abbreviations

ADH:

alcohol dehydrogense

Ah :

Amaranthus hypochondriacus

ALP:

alkaline phosphatase

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

AST:

Aspartate aminotransferase

BHT:

Buthylated hydroxy toluene

CAT:

Catalase

CYP2E1:

Cytochrome P450-2E1

DNPH:

2,4-dinitrophenylhidrazine

DPPH:

1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl

GGT:

Gamma glutamyl transferase

GPx:

Glutathione peroxidase

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

M-MLV:

Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase

NADPH:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

NO:

Nitric oxide

NO test:

Scavenging activity against nitric oxide

NOX:

NADPH oxidase

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

RNS:

Reactive nitrogen species

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

RSA:

Radical scavenging activity

RT:

Reverse transcription

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TBARS:

Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

TMP:

1,1,3,3-tetramethoxypropane

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Engineer Guillermo Peiretti (Professor of the Agronomical and Veterinary Sciences Department National University of Rio Cuarto) for kindly providing the seeds employed in this work, obtained as an original variety from an experimental cultivation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biology Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, National University of San Luis, IMIBIO-SL, CONICET, Chacabuco and Pedernera, San Luis, 5700, Argentina

    Viviana Romina Lucero López, Gabriela Silvina Razzeto, María Sofía Giménez & Nora Lilian Escudero

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  1. Viviana Romina Lucero López
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  2. Gabriela Silvina Razzeto
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  3. María Sofía Giménez
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  4. Nora Lilian Escudero
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Correspondence to Nora Lilian Escudero.

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Lucero López, V.R., Razzeto, G.S., Giménez, M.S. et al. Antioxidant Properties of Amaranthus hypochondriacus Seeds and their Effect on the Liver of Alcohol-Treated Rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 66, 157–162 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-011-0218-4

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