Protective effect of the polyherbal formulation Nalpamaram on the oxidative stress induced by ethanol

Oxidative stress plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver diseases. The present study focuses on the protective effect of Nalpamaram on ethanol induced oxidative stress. Male albino rats of wistar strain weighing 200-250 g were divided into different groups. Ethanol, 20% w/v, was administered orally (3 ml/kg b.wt./day), to animals of all the groups for 120 days except normal group of animals. Aqueous extract of Nalpamaram (NMAE) at doses 100, 250 and 500 mg/kgb.wt./day and silymarin at a dose of 100 mg/kg b. wt./day were administered orally for 120 days, to the animals of different groups. After 120 days the rats were fasted overnight, sacrificed and liver was collected and used for various assays. The increased alcohol dehydrogenase levels in ethanol administered rats were found to be decreased in NMAE and silymarin treated groups. The indicators of oxidative stress, thiobarbituric acid reacting substances, conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes and hydroperoxides in the liver of ethanol treated rats were found to be decreased in ethanol + NMAE treated rats. The decreased activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, and the levels of reduced glutathione in ethanol administered rats, were increased significantly in ethanol + NMAE treated rats. The activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase decreased significantly in ethanol administered rats, when compared with pair fed controls. In ethanol + NMAE treated rats, the activities of these enzymes increased in a dose dependent manner. However, the activity of glutathione S transferase was significantly higher in ethanol-treated rats, which was brought down towards near normal values in NMAE treated rats. The hepatoprotective effect of NMAE can be attributed to the amelioration of oxidative stress induced by ethanol. The effect of NMAE at a dose of 500 mg/kg b.wt./day was comparable to that of the standard drug silymarin at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.wt./day.