Onuoha Nnenna Ola, Ogbusua Nneoma Oleh, Okorie Augustine N, Ejike Chukwunonso E C C
Department of Home Science, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Jun 9;6(3):290-295. doi: 10.5455/jice.20170603094811. eCollection 2017 Jul-Sep.
AIM/BACKGROUND: Given the prevalence of toxicants in foods, beauty products, etc., and the increasing demand for "green" products, there is a need for the development of "nutri-drinks" with hepatoprotective properties. The usefulness of tigernut milk (TNM) in preventing acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury was, therefore, investigated.
A total of 25 rats were randomized into five equal groups. Four groups were treated with 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 kg/mg body weight (bw) TNM, respectively, for 2 weeks before they were challenged with 2500 mg/kg bw APAP. Biochemical markers of hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress were determined in the sera of the rats at the end of the study.
Serum alanine aminotransferase concentrations decreased significantly ( < 0.001) and dose-dependently from 334.3 ± 16.1 in the negative control group to 65.4 ± 8.3 in the 2000 mg/kg bw TNM group. Other studied liver enzymes were similarly dose-dependently reduced. These data are corroborated by histological findings. Superoxide dismutase activity (U/mg protein) was increased significantly ( < 0.001) from 108.0 ± 7.4 in the negative control group to 291.0 ± 11.3 in the 2000 mg/kg bw TNM group, and indeed all the test groups. The malondialdehyde concentrations in the test rats were slightly lower than that of the negative control group.
TNM at the tested concentrations significantly prevented liver injury. Phytochemicals in TNM, working directly as antioxidants or indirectly by inducing the synthesis of glutathione, may be responsible for the observed effect.
目的/背景：鉴于食品、美容产品等中有毒物质的普遍存在以及对“绿色”产品需求的增加，需要开发具有肝脏保护特性的“营养饮品”。因此，研究了虎坚果奶（TNM）在预防对乙酰氨基酚（APAP）诱导的肝损伤中的作用。
将25只大鼠随机分为五组，每组数量相等。四组分别给予0、500、1000和2000mg/kg体重（bw）的TNM，持续2周，然后用2500mg/kg bw的APAP进行攻击。在研究结束时测定大鼠血清中肝毒性和氧化应激的生化标志物。
血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶浓度显著降低（<0.001），且呈剂量依赖性，从阴性对照组的334.3±16.1降至2000mg/kg bw TNM组的65.4±8.3。其他研究的肝酶也同样呈剂量依赖性降低。这些数据得到了组织学结果的证实。超氧化物歧化酶活性（U/mg蛋白）显著增加（<0.001），从阴性对照组的108.0±7.4增加到2000mg/kg bw TNM组以及所有测试组的291.0±11.3。测试大鼠中的丙二醛浓度略低于阴性对照组。
在所测试的浓度下，TNM能显著预防肝损伤。TNM中的植物化学物质可能直接作为抗氧化剂起作用，或通过诱导谷胱甘肽的合成间接起作用，从而导致了观察到的效果。
