Ginger and vitamin C as protective agents against oxidative stress and liver injury induced by methyl parathion

Methyl parathion is one of the highly toxic organophosphorus (OP) compounds. It induces hepatotoxicity, which might be related to generation of reactive oxygen species. This study was carried out to investigate the protective roles of vitamins C and ginger against hepatotoxicity induced by methyl parathion in male albino rats. Sixty male albino rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (ten rats each). Group I was considered as controls. Animals of groups II, III and IV were given methyl parathion (2 mg/kg), ginger (200 mg/kg) and vitamin C (100 mg/kg) respectively. Groups V and VI were given ginger (200 mg/kg) and vitamin C (100 mg/kg) respectively 2 hours before methyl parathion administration. All animals were treated orally, once daily, for four weeks. Blood and liver samples were obtained for biochemical, immunohistochemistry and histopathological examinations. Administration of either ginger or vitamin C along with methyl parathion significantly reduced the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in rats compared to those only treated with methyl parathion. Treatment with either ginger or vitamin C in combination with methyl parathion resulted in increased level of reduced glutathione compared to the methyl parathion treated group. However, oral ginger significantly increased glutathione-S-transferase levels compared to the control group, and this may outbalance the protective value of ginger over vitamin C to guard against liver injury and oxidative stress. The immunohistochemical and histopathological examinations showed that ginger or vitamin C combination with methyl parathion resulted in less hepatocytes degeneration and milder portal tract infiltration compared to the methyl parathion group. In conclusion, pre-treatment with either ginger or vitamin C appears to alleviate methyl parathion-inducted hepatotoxicity. However, their protective role is still limited and needs further investigation.