Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase effects of Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in rats

Amal Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ghamdi¹, Manal El-Zohri^1,2, Abdelaaty Abdul Shahat^3,4

¹Department of Botany, Environment Program, Faculty of Biological Science, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 35009, Jeddah 21488, Saudi Arabia; ²Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt; ³Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, PO Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; ⁴Phytochemistry Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth St, PO Box 12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

For correspondence:- Abdelaaty Shahat Email: ashahat@ksu.edu.sa

Accepted: aashahat@hotmail.com Published: 30 April 2019

Citation: Al-Ghamdi AA, El-Zohri M, Shahat AA. Hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase effects of Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity in rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(4):781-789 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i4.15

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To explore the hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase effects of the medicinal plant Ziziphus spina-christi (L.).

Methods: Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) methanol extract (ZS-1) and its ethyl-acetate (ZS-2), n-butanol (ZS-3), and aqueous (ZS-4) fractions were evaluated for their hepatoprotective, anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase activities. Adult male Wister rats were divided into 11 groups (I- XI) with 6 mice per group. Group I was normal control, while the treatment groups were as follows: group II, CCl₄; group III, Silymarin + CCl₄; group IV, Ziziphus spina-christi total methanol extract (ZS-1), 100 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group V, ZS-1 (200 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group VI, ethyl acetate fraction (ZS-2), 100 mg/kg + CCl₄; group VII: ZS-2 (200 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group VIII, butanol fraction (ZS-3), 100 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group IX, ZS-3 (200 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group X, aqueous fraction (ZS-4), 100 mg/kg) + CCl₄; group XI: ZS-4 (200 mg/kg) + CCl₄. Silymarin was used as the standard. Biomarkers of liver and kidney toxicity and histopathological changes were evaluated.

Results: Liver and kidney malondialdehyde (MDA), non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) and total protein levels were elevated in CCl₄-treated rats; however, ZS-1 and ZS-4 of Z. spina-christi significantly reduced these levels. ZS-2 and ZS-3 did not significantly improve the studied parameters. These results were confirmed by results from histopathological examination. ZS-1 and ZS-2 showed mild inhibitory activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase (54 and 43 % at 100 µg/ml, respectively).

Conclusion: The results indicate that ZS-1 and ZS-4 samples displayed dose-dependent hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects, whereas ZS-2 and ZS-3 samples did not exhibit these effects. Similarly, α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes are considerably inhibited by ZS-1 and ZS-2.

Keywords: Ziziphus spina christi, Rhamnaceae, Hepatoprotective, Nephroprotection, ^5;-Amylase and ^5;-Glucosidase