Carvacrol prevents acrylamide-induced oxidative and inflammatory liver damage and dysfunction in rats

Serkan Cerrah; Fatih Ozcicek; Betul Gundogdu; Betul Cicek; Taha Abdulkadir Coban; Bahadir Suleyman; Durdu Altuner; Seval Bulut; Halis Suleyman

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1161448

Carvacrol prevents acrylamide-induced oxidative and inflammatory liver damage and dysfunction in rats

Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 5:14:1161448. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1161448. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Serkan Cerrah¹, Fatih Ozcicek², Betul Gundogdu³, Betul Cicek⁴, Taha Abdulkadir Coban⁵, Bahadir Suleyman⁶, Durdu Altuner⁶, Seval Bulut⁶, Halis Suleyman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital, Erzurum, Türkiye.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Türkiye.
³ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Türkiye.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Türkiye.
⁵ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Türkiye.
⁶ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Türkiye.

Abstract

Background: Acrylamide causes hepatotoxicity with the effect of oxidative stress and inflammatory processes. Carvacrol is a monoterpenic phenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Aims: To determine the effects of carvacrol on oxidative liver injury induced by acrylamide administration in rats. Methods: Rats were divided into three groups of six animals each: healthy group acrylamide group (ACR), and acrylamide + carvacrol group (TACR). First, carvacrol (50 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to the CACR group. One hour later, acrylamide (20 mg/kg) was given orally to the ACR and CACR groups. This procedure was performed for 30 days, after which the animals were sacrificed. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione (tGSH) levels, total oxidant (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and nuclear factor kappa b (NF-κB) were measured in the excised liver tissues. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were determined in blood serum samples. Liver tissues were also examined histopathologically. Results: In the ACR group, malondialdehyde, TOS, ALT, AST levels, and NF-κB, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels were found to be high, and tGSH and total antioxidant status levels were low. In addition, diffuse degenerative changes and necrosis in hepatocytes, and moderate inflammation in the portal region were detected in the liver tissues of the ACR group. While carvacrol prevented the biochemical changes induced by acrylamide, it also alleviated the damage in the histological structure. Conclusion: Carvacrol may be used for liver damage caused by acrylamide.

Keywords: acrylamide; carvacrol; experimental models; liver damage; oxidative stress.