Towards Understanding The Hepatoprotective effect of Grape Seeds Extract on Cholesterol-Fed Rats

Abstract: In our previous studies, a phenolic-rich extract of grape seed was prepared under optimal conditions. The antioxidant activity of grape seed extract (GSE) was determined in addition to 50 determination of acute oral LD toxicity. The current work studies the protective effect of GSE on hypercholesterolemia, where, W istar rats fed a standard laboratory diet (control group-CG) or a cholesterol-rich diet (hypercholesterolemic group-HCD) and to see the effect of GSE, another group fed on cholesterol-rich diet enriched with 0.3% GSEW /W-PG) for 8 weeks. Serum lipid levels, serum antioxidant status, Liver and kidney function were analysed in addition to histopathological examination of the liver. The hypocholesterolemic effects of GSE is confirmed by lowering the serum total cholesterol (TC) by 31%, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol LDL-C by 41% and elevated the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C by 25% compared to TC, LDL-C and HDL-C of HCD group . Furthermore, the liver function expressed as glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and Albumin serum levels, decreased significantly and reached to normal level in case of oral administration of GSE. The kidney function showed no adverse effect in all groups. In addition, the antioxidant status serum level was increased as compared to those of rats fed only on cholesterol-rich diet. Histological examination of liver sections confirmed the serum analysis where GSE had a protective effect on animals fed on HCD, the liver of these animals showed mild affection in the form of microvesicular vacuolation of hepatocytes in the peripheral zone of the hepatic lobule (<50%) in comparison to the fatty change observed as microvesicular and macrovesicular vacuolation in >50% and <70% of the liver sections in HCD group. T hese results suggested that the GSE has a hypocholesterolemic effect which might be due to its ability to lower serum TC and LDL-C levels as well as slowing the lipid peroxidation process by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity