Skip to main content
Top
Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2021

01-12-2021 | Dyslipidemia | Research article

Hepatoprotective effect of silymarin on fructose induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in male albino wistar rats

Authors: Tewodros Mengesha, Natesan Gnanasekaran, Tsegaye Mehare

Published in: BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the Western world, and it’s likely to parallel the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other components of metabolic syndrome. However, optimal treatment for NAFLD has not been established yet. Therefore, this study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of silymarin on fructose-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats.

Methods

Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups; normal control group that consumed tap water, silymarin control group that consumed tap water and silymarin (400 mg/kg/day), fructose control group that consumed 20% fructose solution, treatment group that consumed 20% fructose solution and silymarin (200 mg/kg/day), and another treatment group that consumed 20% fructose solution and silymarin (400 mg/kg/day). Hepatic triglyceride, serum lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant level, morphological features, and histopathological changes were investigated. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey multiple comparison test. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05.

Results

This study showed that the fructose control group had a significantly high value in the stage of steatosis grade, hepatic triglyceride, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and hepatic malondialdehyde concentration as compared to the normal control. However, significantly low values of reduced glutathione and plasma total antioxidant capacity were found. The altered parameters due to fructose drastic effect were ameliorated by silymarin treatment.

Conclusions

The fructose control group developed dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and mild steatosis that are the characteristics features of NAFLD. However, silymarin-treated groups showed amelioration in oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and steatosis.
Literature
1.
go back to reference Lam BP, Younossi ZM. Treatment regimens for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Ann Hepatol. 2009;8(S1):51–9.CrossRef Lam BP, Younossi ZM. Treatment regimens for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Ann Hepatol. 2009;8(S1):51–9.CrossRef
3.
go back to reference Longato L. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a tale of fat and sugar? Fibrogenesis Tissue Repair. 2013;6(1):1–5.CrossRef Longato L. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a tale of fat and sugar? Fibrogenesis Tissue Repair. 2013;6(1):1–5.CrossRef
8.
go back to reference Bray GA: Energy and fructose from beverages sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup pose a health risk for some people. In: Oxford University Press; 2013. Bray GA: Energy and fructose from beverages sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup pose a health risk for some people. In: Oxford University Press; 2013.
10.
go back to reference Pradhan S, Girish C. Hepatoprotective herbal drug, silymarin from experimental pharmacology to clinical medicine. Indian J Med Res. 2006;124(5):491–504.PubMed Pradhan S, Girish C. Hepatoprotective herbal drug, silymarin from experimental pharmacology to clinical medicine. Indian J Med Res. 2006;124(5):491–504.PubMed
12.
go back to reference Hajiaghamohammadi AA, Ziaee A, Oveisi S, Masroor H, et al. Hepat Mon. 2012;12:8.CrossRef Hajiaghamohammadi AA, Ziaee A, Oveisi S, Masroor H, et al. Hepat Mon. 2012;12:8.CrossRef
13.
go back to reference Aller R, Izaola O, Gómez S, Tafur C, Gonzalez G, Berroa E, Mora N, Gonzalez J, De Luis D. Effect of silymarin plus vitamin E in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A randomized clinical pilot study. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(16):3118–24.PubMed Aller R, Izaola O, Gómez S, Tafur C, Gonzalez G, Berroa E, Mora N, Gonzalez J, De Luis D. Effect of silymarin plus vitamin E in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A randomized clinical pilot study. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(16):3118–24.PubMed
14.
go back to reference Hajiani E, Jalal Hashemi S. Comparison of therapeutic effects of silymarin and vitamin e in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results of an open-labele, prospective, randomized study. Jundishapur J Nat Pharmaceut Products. 2009;4(1):8–14. Hajiani E, Jalal Hashemi S. Comparison of therapeutic effects of silymarin and vitamin e in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: results of an open-labele, prospective, randomized study. Jundishapur J Nat Pharmaceut Products. 2009;4(1):8–14.
15.
go back to reference Solhi H, Ghahremani R, Kazemifar AM, Yazdi ZH. Silymarin in treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a randomized clinical trial. Caspian J Intern Med. 2014;5(1):9–12.PubMedPubMedCentral Solhi H, Ghahremani R, Kazemifar AM, Yazdi ZH. Silymarin in treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a randomized clinical trial. Caspian J Intern Med. 2014;5(1):9–12.PubMedPubMedCentral
17.
go back to reference OECD O. Guidance document on acute oral toxicity testing. Paris: OECD; 2000. OECD O. Guidance document on acute oral toxicity testing. Paris: OECD; 2000.
18.
go back to reference Radko L, Cybulski W. Application of silymarin in human and animal medicine. J Pre-Clin Clin Res. 2007:1. Radko L, Cybulski W. Application of silymarin in human and animal medicine. J Pre-Clin Clin Res. 2007:1.
20.
25.
go back to reference Gupta R, Sharma M, Lakshmy R, Prabhakaran D, Reddy KS: Improved method of total antioxidant assay. 2009. Gupta R, Sharma M, Lakshmy R, Prabhakaran D, Reddy KS: Improved method of total antioxidant assay. 2009.
32.
go back to reference Chalasani N, Younossi Z, Lavine JE, Diehl AM, Brunt EM, Cusi K, Charlton M, Sanyal AJ. The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association. Hepatology. 2012;55(6):2005–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.25762.CrossRefPubMed Chalasani N, Younossi Z, Lavine JE, Diehl AM, Brunt EM, Cusi K, Charlton M, Sanyal AJ. The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association. Hepatology. 2012;55(6):2005–23. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​hep.​25762.CrossRefPubMed
40.
go back to reference Wang J, Gao H, Ke D, Zuo G, Yang Y, Yamahara J, Li Y. Improvement of liquid fructose-induced adipose tissue insulin resistance by ginger treatment in rats is associated with suppression of adipose macrophage-related proinflammatory cytokines. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/590376. Wang J, Gao H, Ke D, Zuo G, Yang Y, Yamahara J, Li Y. Improvement of liquid fructose-induced adipose tissue insulin resistance by ginger treatment in rats is associated with suppression of adipose macrophage-related proinflammatory cytokines. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:1–12. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1155/​2013/​590376.
42.
go back to reference Ni X, Wang H. Silymarin attenuated hepatic steatosis through regulation of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Am J Transl Res. 2016;8(2):1073–81.PubMedPubMedCentral Ni X, Wang H. Silymarin attenuated hepatic steatosis through regulation of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in a mouse model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Am J Transl Res. 2016;8(2):1073–81.PubMedPubMedCentral
53.
go back to reference Roth CL, Elfers CT, Figlewicz DP, Melhorn SJ, Morton GJ, Hoofnagle A, Yeh MM, Nelson JE, Kowdley KV. Vitamin D deficiency in obese rats exacerbates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and increases hepatic resistin and toll-like receptor activation. Hepatology. 2012;55(4):1103–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.24737.CrossRefPubMed Roth CL, Elfers CT, Figlewicz DP, Melhorn SJ, Morton GJ, Hoofnagle A, Yeh MM, Nelson JE, Kowdley KV. Vitamin D deficiency in obese rats exacerbates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and increases hepatic resistin and toll-like receptor activation. Hepatology. 2012;55(4):1103–11. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​hep.​24737.CrossRefPubMed
60.
61.
go back to reference Kheiripour N, Karimi J, Khodadadi I, Tavilani H, Goodarzi MT, Hashemnia M. Hepatoprotective effects of silymarin on liver injury via irisin upregulation and oxidative stress reduction in rats with type 2 diabetes. Iran J Med Sci. 2019;44(2):108–17.PubMed Kheiripour N, Karimi J, Khodadadi I, Tavilani H, Goodarzi MT, Hashemnia M. Hepatoprotective effects of silymarin on liver injury via irisin upregulation and oxidative stress reduction in rats with type 2 diabetes. Iran J Med Sci. 2019;44(2):108–17.PubMed
Metadata
Title
Hepatoprotective effect of silymarin on fructose induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in male albino wistar rats
Authors
Tewodros Mengesha
Natesan Gnanasekaran
Tsegaye Mehare
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 2662-7671
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03275-5

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 1/2021 Go to the issue