Hepatoprotective influence of quercetin and ellagic acid on thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Despite all the studies performed to date, therapy choices for liver injuries are very few. Therefore, the search for a new treatment that could safely and effectively block or reverse liver injuries remains a challenge. Quercetin (QR) and ellagic acid (EA) had potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The current study aimed at evaluating the potential hepatoprotective influence of QR and EA against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver toxicity in rats and the underlying mechanism using silymarin as a reference drug. Fifty mature male rats were orally treated daily with EA and QR in separate groups for 45 consecutive days, and then were injected with TAA twice with 24 h intervals in the last 2 days of the experiment. Administration of TAA resulted in marked elevation of liver indices, alteration in oxidative stress parameters, and significant elevation in expression level of fibrosis-related genes (MMP9 and MMP2). Administration of QR and EA significantly attenuated the hepatic toxicity through reduction of liver biomarkers, improving the redox status of the tissue, as well as hampering the expression level of fibrosis-related genes. In this study, QR and EA were proved to attenuate the hepatotoxicity through their antioxidant, metal-chelating capacity, and anti-inflammatory effects.