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Topic: Natural Products and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Preventive role of chamomile
Preventive role of chamomile ﬂ owers and fennel seeds ﬂ owers and fennel seeds
extracts against liver injury and oxidative stress induced by an
extracts against liver injury and oxidative stress induced by an
immunosuppressant drug in rats
immunosuppressant drug in rats

2
1
1
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Fathia A. Mannaa , Nagi A. Ibrahim , Soliman S. Ibrahim , Khaled G. Abdel-Wahhab ,
Nabila S. Hassan , Saida G. Mohammed 2
3
1 Department of Medical Physiology, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
3 Department of Pathology, National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
ABSTRACT
Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of chamomile ﬂ owers methanolic extract (CFME)
and fennel seeds methanolic extract (FSME) on azathioprine (AZA), an immunosuppressant drug, which induced a liver injury
and oxidative stress in rats. Methods: Rats were divided into 6 groups (8 rats each) and treated orally for 28 consecutive
days as follows. Group 1: rats were given normal saline and used as controls; group 2: rats treated with CFME (200 mg/kg);
group 3: rats treated with FSME (200 mg/kg); group 4: rats treated with AZA (25 mg/kg); and groups 5 and 6: rats treated
with CFME (200 mg/kg) or FSME (200 mg/kg) 15 min prior to AZA (25 mg/kg) treatment. At the end of experimental
period, blood and liver samples were collected from all groups for biochemical analysis and histological examination.
Results: The obtained data revealed that AZA-induced hepatic injury in the rats as evidenced by the signiﬁ cant increase in
serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, and direct bilirubin as well
as hepatic malondialdehyde level accompanied with signiﬁ cant decrease in reduced glutathione content and total antioxidant
capacity in the liver. Moreover, body weight gain showed the signiﬁ cant decrease and relative liver weight showed the
signiﬁ cant increase on AZA treatment. The sequential signiﬁ cant changes in biochemical parameters were accompanied by
severe histological changes in the liver tissue, including hepatocytes disorganization with pyknotic nuclei, fatty degeneration,
congestion, ﬁ brosis, and bile duct necrosis around the portal tract. The areas of hemorrhages in blood vessels and in between
hepatocytes were also seen. However, the results showed the potential hepatoprotective effects of CFME and FSME against
AZA-induced liver injury and oxidative stress. They succeeded in restoring the biochemical parameters and improving the
histological picture of the liver. This improvement was more pronounced in the rats pretreated with FSME. Conclusion: It
could be concluded that CFME and FSME have hepatoprotective potentials against AZA probably due to their antioxidant
properties and radical scavenging activity.

Key words: Azathioprine; chamomile ﬂ owers; fennel seeds; liver; oxidative stress

Address for correspondence:
Prof. Fathia A. Mannaa, Department of Medical Physiology, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt. E-mail: fathia_98@yahoo.com
Received: 20-05-2015, Accepted: 21-09-2015

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http://www.hrjournal.net/
How to cite this article: Mannaa FA, Ibrahim NA, Ibrahim SS,
Abdel-Wahhab KG, Hassan NS, Mohammed SG. Preventive role of
DOI: chamomile ﬂ owers and fennel seeds extracts against liver injury and
10.4103/2394-5079.167375 oxidative stress induced by an immunosuppressant drug in rats. Hepatoma
Res 2015;1:125-35.

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