Efficient hepatoprotective activity of cranberry extract against CCl_4-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rat model: Down-regulation of liver enzymes and strong antioxidant activity

ObjectiveTo investigate the hepatoprotective efficacy of cranberry extract (CBE) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic injury using in-vivo animal model.MethodsThe hepatoprotective efficacy of CBE (200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated against CCl4 (4 mL/kg)-induced hepatotoxicity, elevated liver enzymes [ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)], and total protein (TP) contents in the serum. Moreover, CBE-aided antioxidant defense against hepatotoxic insult of CCl4 was measured by evaluating a number of anti-oxidative biomarkers including reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum by using spectrophotometric analyses.ResultsResults showed that the exposure of experimental animals to CCl4 did induce significant hepatotoxicity compared to the non-induced (untreated) group. The oral administration of CBE demonstrated a significant dose-dependent alleviation in the liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), increased antioxidant defense (GSH, SOD, and CAT), and reduced MDA levels in the serum of treated animals compared to the animals without treatment. The resulting data showed that the administration of CBE decreased the serum levels of ALT, AST, and ALP compared to the CCl4-induced group.ConclusionsThe resulting data evidenced that CBE exhibits promising hepatoprotective potential against the chemical induced hepatotoxicity, maintains homeostasis in liver enzymes, and can provide significant antioxidant defense against free radicals-induced oxidative stress.

Lowering fasting blood glucose with non-dialyzable material of cranberry extract is dependent on host genetic background,sex and diet

Background:Type 2 diabetes(T2D)is a polygenic metabolic disease,character-ized by high fasting blood glucose(FBG).The ability of cranberry(CRN)fruit to regulate glycemia in T2D patients is well known.Here,a cohort of 13 lines of the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross(CC)mouse model was assessed for the effect of non-dialyzable material(NDM)of cranberry extract in lowering fasting blood glucose.Methods:Eight-week-old mice were maintained on either a standard chow diet(con-trol group)or a high-fat diet(HFD)for 12 weeks,followed by injections of intraperi-toneal(IP)NDM(50 mg/kg)per mouse,three times a week for the next 6 weeks.Absolute FBG(mg/dl)was measured bi-weekly and percentage changes in FBG(%FBG)between weeks 0 and 12 were calculated.Results:Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in FBG between weeks 0 and 12 in male and female mice maintained on CHD.However,a non-significant in-crease in FBG values was observed in male and female mice maintained on HFD dur-ing the same period.Following administration of NDM during the following 6 weeks,the results show a variation in significant levels of FBG lowering between lines,male and female mice and under the different diets.Conclusion:The results suggest that the efficacy of NDM treatment in lowering FGB depends on host genetic background(pharmacogenetics),sex of the mouse(phar-macosex),and diet(pharmacodiet).All these results support the need for follow-up research to better understand and implement a personalized medicine approach/uti-lization of NDM for reducing FBG.