Protective Effect of Silymarin Extracted from Silybum marianum Seeds upon Nickel-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Wistar Rats
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Date
2018-09-11
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Annals of Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
Nickel cytotoxicity results in high oxygen species production, which leads to continuous injury and
dysfunction of different organs including liver. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate
the protective effects of silymarin on nickel-induced hepatotoxicity. Male rats were divided into four
groups of seven each: Control, silymarin (Sil), nickel (Ni), and nickel plus silymarin (Ni+Sil). Nickel
as nickel sulfate (NiSO4 6H20) (20 mg/kg b.wt.) was given intraperitoneally on alternate days until
the tenth dose, methanolic extract of milk thistle (100 mg/kg) was given orally to rats for 21 days.
The administration of nickel caused a significant decrease in body weight with a significant increase
in liver weight. Nickel treatment also produced oxidative liver injury characterized by an increase in
serum glucose concentration, levels of hepatic markers enzymes (GPT, GOT, LDH and ALP) and
bilirubin. Furthermore, the exposure to nickel significantly increased malondialdehyde level and
decreased reduced glutathione concentration and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione
peroxidase activities. These results are substantiated with marked changes in the histopathology.
However, the treatment with silymarin significantly lowered the level of lipid peroxidation and
enhanced the antioxidant status, and resulted a reduction of the necrotic damage caused by nickel
and thereby restored the previous biochemical parameters. The results of this investigation showed
that nickel induced hepatotoxicity due to the excess generation of free radicals and impairment antioxidant
defenses, but the use of silymarin extract countered the adverse effects of nickel to a major
extent, suggesting their anti-oxidant and immunity powerful.