Antioxidant and anticytolytic properties of Acorus calamus leaf extract

Abstract

Paracetamol is one of the drugs that often causes drug-induced liver injury (DILI). The mechanism of hepatotoxicity of paracetamol is due to the inhibition of the intracellular glutathione system and the overactivation of free radical oxidation. The aim of the study was to determine an antioxidant and anticytolytic activity of Acorus calamus leaves extract on the animal's with experimental paracetamol hepatitis. An antioxidant action of Acorus calamus leaf extract was determined by the effect on the level of 8-isoprostane, the content of oxidized and reduced glutathione. Anticytolytic effect was evaluated by the decrease of alanine aminotransferase (AlAT), aspartate aminotransferase (AsAT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) activities. It has been established that the use of Acorus calamus leaf extract in therapeutic and prophylactic regimens under experimental paracetamol hepatitis in rats significantly reduces the level of 8-isoprostane, increases the pool of reduced glutathione, reduces the level of oxidized glutathione, which obviously improves the detoxification. The anticytolytic properties of Acorus calamus leaf extract were confirmed by a significant decrease in AsAT, AlAT and γ-GTP activities. It was found that the antioxidant and anticytolytic properties of the Acorus calamus leaf extract were somewhat inferior to the comparison drug – ademethionine, but exceeded the efficiency of silibor by some indices. Obviously, the hepatoprotective effect of Acorus calamus leaf extract is due to the presence in their composition of flavonides, such as hyperoside, rutin, ferulic and rosemary acids and other biological active substances, possessing antioxidant and cytoprotective properties.