PROTECTIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF DATE PALM SEEDS (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) ON HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

Abstract

In recent years, the population has preferred using phytopharmaceutical products to reduce the complications involving xenobiotics in various pathologies. This study aimed to evaluate the antitoxic activity of three varieties of Phoenix dactyliferaL. Seeds in vivo, namely Deglet Nour, Mech-Degla, and Ghars. Doses of 200 mg/kg bw/day of their extracts were administered to male Wistar albino rats intoxicated using 50% of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The results were compared to silymarin. After 15 days, rats were sacrificed, blood samples were collected for the serum biochemical parameters analysis, and the liver was removed for the oxidative stress enzymes analysis and histopathological study. Extraction results from Deglet Nour, Mech-Deglea, and Ghars yielded different yields of 3.16%, 4.55% and 2.07%, respectively. However, the Deglet Nour variety had the highest antioxidant power with an IC50 of 0.231 compared to the other extracts. The polyphenolic contents range between 189.42 and 246.57 mg GAE/mL. Generally, the studied varieties showed exciting results with their regulatory capacity against the serum enzymes rates of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) that were disturbed by the CCl4 treatment in addition to the biochemical parameters such as; total protein, glucose levels, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The examined enzymes for oxidative stress were malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH). Several unusual activities were seen in the rats treated with the different seed extracts as a response to the intoxication generated by the administered xenobiotic. The active compounds in the three varieties of date palm seeds outperformed silymarin in terms of regulating power in some metrics. Histological changes accompanied the metabolic response of treated rats to the various extracts. A remarkable inflammation in the liver tissue was observed in the control group. At the same time, the raw extracts of date seeds have proved their capacity to minimize rashes, and the serum biochemical results were similar to the conducted histological study.