Role of Berberis SSP and Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Medicinal plants are an influential source of antioxidants and the hepatoprotective effects of some of them are well established. The antioxidant capacity of barberry fruit has been documented; therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of the aqueous extract of Berberis vulgaris (BV) and Berberis integerrima (BI) fruits against acetaminophen (AC)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Male mice were randomly divided into ten groups (Sham, positive control, BV and BI controls, three treatment groups of BV extract, and three treatment groups of BI extract). Following induction of acute liver injury by AC (1000 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), mice were treated by three concentrations of BV and BI extracts orally for 10 days. At the end of the study, blood samples and liver sections were obtained and alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) were measured. Histopathological changes were assessed by H&E staining on liver sections. Data were analyzed by GraphPad prism version 5.04. Administration of AC markedly increased the serum aminotransferase (ALT and AST) levels and lipid peroxidation but decreased SOD and catalase activities and GSH content. Administration of BV and BI ameliorated the AC toxic effect in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological evaluations confirmed AC-induced acute damage in which treatment with the aqueous extract of BV and BI fruit extracts significantly improved damage. Thus, the aqueous extracts of BV and BI may have a hepatoprotective effect against AC-induced liver damage that may result from their antioxidant properties.