Aims: The current study was developed to investigate the influence of grape seeds (GS) and mandarin peels (MP) extracts as powerful antioxidants on the cardiotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) in rats. Place of Study: Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University. Methodology: Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups. Group (1): Rats were received distilled water daily orally for 6 weeks and injected interperitoneally (i.p) with saline (0.9 %) (2.5 ml / kg BW) as single dose at the end of the sixth week of experiment. Group (2): Rats were received distilled water orally and injected with single dose of cyclophosphamide which dissolved in saline (200 mg/kg BW. i.p.) at the end of the sixth week of experiment. Groups (3 and 4):  Rats were received grape seeds extracts low and high doses (150 and 300 mg /kg BW), respectively daily orally for 6 weeks then injected with cyclophosphamide as group 2. Groups (5 and 6): Rats were received mandarin peels extracts low and high doses (150 and 300 mg /kg BW), respectively daily orally for 6 weeks then injected with cyclophosphamide as group 2. Results: Our results documented that CP caused a significant increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALK-P), creatine kinase (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) enzymes activity and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level. While total antioxidant capacity level (TAC) showed a significant decrease. On the other hand cardiac catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and cardiac β cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) level showed a significant decrease in CP group while cardiac p53, caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation levels showed a significant increase in CP intoxicated group. Also, some histopathological changes were observed in liver and heart tissues in CP group. Oral administration of GS and MP caused an ameliorative effect in oxidative and apoptotic biomarkers, liver and heart function enzymes activity with an improvement of histopathological changes in liver and heart tissues. Conclusion: Our data proved that the protective effect of grape seeds and mandarin peels in cyclophosphamide intoxicated group may be due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti- apoptotic properties.

Background: Paracetamol overdose is a predominant cause of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in both humans and experimental animals. There is an emerging focus on plant products to find a highly effective and reliable drug for the prevention of paracetamol –induced toxicity. Objective: In this study, we investigated the Hepatoprotective and Reno-protective Effects of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Leaf extract and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract against paracetamol Induced toxicity in Albino Rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into five groups: Negative control, paracetamol (1000 mg/kg dose) PCT, artichoke leaf extract “ALE” (1.5  g/kg, orally + paracetamol for 30 d), rosemary extract “RE” (125  mg/kg + paracetamol for 30 days) and the last group was treated with PCT+ ALE+ RE for 30 days. Results: Paracetamol caused marked liver damage as noted by significant increased activities of serum aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and lactate dehydrogenase. Paracetamol also raised serum levels of urea, creatinine, and Cystatin-C. In addition, there was a significant decrease in serum total protein and albumin. Paracetamol caused an elevation in lipid peroxidation paralleled with significant decline in reduced glutathione (GSH) level and activities of glutathione-S- transferase (GST), glutathione (GPX) peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver and kidney. These results are confirmed in the histological examination of the liver and kidney. Conclusion: Treatment with artichoke leaf extract (ALE) and rosemary extract (RE) produced a potential protection of the liver and kidney against biochemical and histological alterations and oxidative stress induced by paracetamol.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the ameliorative effect of aqueous guava leaf extract (AGLE) with different doses (200, 350, 500 & 650 mg/kg b.wt.) taken p.o in rats fed high fat high cholesterol (HFC) diet for 8 weeks. The four doses of AGLE cause a significant decrease in food intake, final body weight, gain in body weight, serum TAG, VLDL-C, risk ratio as well as liver TAG and malondialdehyde level. Also doses of AGLE (350,500 and 650 mg/kg b.wt.) cause a significant decrease in relative liver weight, serum AST and LDL-C but a significant increase in HDL-C and leptin hormone. While doses (500 & 650 mg/kg b.wt.) cause a significant decrease in serum TC. The highest dose causes a significant decrease in serum ALT and adiponectin hormone. Total liver cholesterol was decreased significantly in groups given (200 & 350 mg/kg b.wt.) but no significant decrease in doses (500 & 650 mg/kg b.wt.). As well as ghrelin hormone does not show significant decrease in the four treated groups fed HFC diet and given AGLE compared to rats fed HFC diet only.

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The present study was carried out to investigate the efficiency of barley or malted barley in ameliorating lipid profile and oxidative stress alteration caused by high fat, high cholesterol diet (HFHC).Adult male albino rats were divided into six groups; each group consisted of 12 rats. Group (1) Served as control, fed on balanced diet (without treatment);groups (2) and (3), rats were fed on balanced diet containing 10 %barley and malted barley respectively, group (4),rats were fed on HFHC (50 g lard+10 g cholesterol/kg diet) to induce hypercholesterolemia. Groups (5) and (6), rats were fed on HFHC contains 10% barley and malted barley respectively. Resultsreflected a significant depletion in all parameters of lipids profile and the percentage of change reached 22.04 % 24.87%, 25.19 %, 40.34 % , 34.11 % , 54.37 % , 54.89 % for Total lipid (TL), Total cholesterol(TC) ,Triacylglycerols (TAG) , Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ,Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) ,Atherogenic index(AI) and Risk factor ratio (RF) respectively when compared with HFHC group treated with barley with an exception of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed a significant increase when compared with HFHCgroup. On the other hand the results showed a significant increment in reduced glutathione level (GSH) in blood and liver. The percentage of changes in GSH in liver showed13.82 % and 21.47 % as well as, super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity by 33.05 % and 42.39 %. while a significant decrement in malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and liver, the percentage of decrement in liver by 38.47% and 46.36% in groups fed on HFHC diet and treated with barley or malted barley respectively when compared with group fed on HFHC(p<0.05).It can be concluded that barley or malted barley can reduce lipidsprofile and oxidative stress but malted barley is more effective than barley.