PROTECTIVE AND CURATIVE EFFECTS OF FRESH ORANGE JUICE (CITRUS SINENSIS L.) SUPPLEMENTATION AGAINST LIVER INJURIES, HEPATIC LIPID, PROTEIN, AND DNAOXIDATIVE DAMAGE INDUCED CYCLOOXYGENASE-2/PROSTAGLANDIN E2 INFLAMMATORY PATHWAY IN FEMALE IRRADIATED RATS

Objective: Our study aimed to examine the protective and curative ability of fresh orange juice (OJ) (Citrus sinensis L.) to counteract the adverse side effects of ionizing radiation (IR) on hepatic tissues of female irradiated rats and that has not been studied in advance. Methods: Forty-nine adult female Sprague-Dawley albino rats (170±5 g) were divided into four sets of 12 animals, except the healthy control group contained 10 rats only and the irradiated control group contained 15 rats and was divided as follow Group I: Healthy control; Group II: Irradiated control, rats receiving a single dose (20 gray absorbed dose [Gy]) of whole-body γ-rays; Group III: Protective group, rats received (5 ml OJ/kg body weight) once daily for 14 days and after 24 h exposed to irradiation; and Group IV: Curative group, then rats were submitted to irradiation than after 24 h, treated with (5 ml OJ/kg body weight) once every day for 14 successive days. Results: Our results explored that fresh OJ contains significant amounts of antioxidants as flavonoids and polyphenols and consequently pre- or post-fresh OJ supplementation to female irradiated rats attenuated significantly (p≤0.05) hepatic lipid, protein, and DNA-oxidative damage, hepatic inflammation, and activated inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway, liver fibrosis, impaired liver functions, and hepatic lipid metabolism when compared with irradiated control rats. Furthermore, fresh OJ improved significantly (p≤0.05) the hepatic antioxidant capacity in protective and curative groups in comparison with the irradiated control group. Conclusion: The current research illustrated that fresh OJ may improve and normalize the various hepatic biochemical abnormalities resulted from irradiation due to its high content of active constituents of flavonoids and polyphenols. It is advised for people who exposed to IR, especially females, to consume about (5 ml OJ/kg body weight) before exposure as the most significant improvements were recorded in the protective group that supplemented with OJ before irradiation

Protective Effects of Simvastatin, a Lipid Lowering Agent, against Oxidative Damage in Experimental Diabetic Rats

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible protective effects of simvastatin (SMV) against oxidative stress in streptozotocin- (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced experimentally in rats by i.p. injection of STZ in a dose of 60 mg/kg bwt. After 5 weeks of STZ injection, there were apparent reductions in the animal body weight and significant increase in blood glucose, HbA1c, urea, creatinine, AST, ALT, and lipid profiles with a concomitant decrease in total hemoglobin, plasma glutathione and vitamin C as compared to the control group. The treatment with SMV at a dose (10 mg/kg, orally) normalized all the above-mentioned biochemical parameters in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In vitro studies confirmed the free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of SMV. Therefore, the present results revealed that SMV has a protective effect against STZ-induced oxidative damage by scavenging the free radicals generation and restoring the enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems

IMPACT OF BEETROOT (BETA VULGARIS RUBRA) AND/OR SWISS CHARD (BETA VULGARIS CICLA) JUICES ORAL ADMINISTRATION AGAINST BARIUM CHLORIDE-INDUCED HYPOKALEMIA, ATPASE DISTURBANCE HEART AND LUNG TOXICITY IN RATS

Objective: The research designed to explore, for the 1st time, the probable antioxidant activity and protective effect of oral administration of beetroot (Beta vulgaris Rubra) and Swiss chard (B. vulgaris Cicla) juices against barium chloride (BaCl2)-induced toxicity in rats through investigating the changes on complete blood picture, heart and lung oxidative biomarkers, cardiac function tests, inflammatory markers as well as adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, hypokalemia, and electrolyte disturbances. Methods: Seventy-five adult male albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strains (150±5 g) were divided into five groups (15/each) except healthy control group which contains 10 rats, and BaCl2 control group that contains 20 rats as follows: Group I: Healthy control; Group II: BaCl2 control, and Groups III, IV, and V: BaCl2 intoxicated groups supplemented with 1 ml of beetroot, Swiss chard, and combination of both juices, respectively/kg body weight 3 times per week orally. Results: Results explored that beetroot and Swiss chard juices contain significant amount of polyphenols and flavonoids as well as macro- and micronutrients that improved the complete blood picture, heart and lung oxidative stress parameters, cardiac function tests, inflammatory markers, ATPase activity, hypokalemia, and also electrolyte balance in supplemented groups compared to BaCl2 control group. Conclusion: This search illustrated that fresh beetroot and Swiss chard juices can improve various biochemical abnormalities resulted from BaCl2 toxicity. BaCl2 intoxicated rats that were supplemented with combination of juices showed the most significant improvements