Antitoxic Effects of Curcumin against Obesity-Induced Multi-Organs' Biochemical and Histopathological Abnormalities in an Animal Model

Mohammed H Hassan; Eatemad A Awadalla; Abd El-Kader M Abd El-Kader; Esraa A Seifeldin; Marwa Ahmed Mahmoud; Abdel Rahim Mahmoud Muddathir; Ahmed Abdelsadik

doi:10.1155/2022/9707278

Antitoxic Effects of Curcumin against Obesity-Induced Multi-Organs' Biochemical and Histopathological Abnormalities in an Animal Model

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Oct 6:2022:9707278. doi: 10.1155/2022/9707278. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Mohammed H Hassan¹, Eatemad A Awadalla², Abd El-Kader M Abd El-Kader², Esraa A Seifeldin², Marwa Ahmed Mahmoud³, Abdel Rahim Mahmoud Muddathir⁴, Ahmed Abdelsadik²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt.
² Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Aswan University, Aswan 81528, Egypt.
³ Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Alzaeim Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a significant public health problem that is characterized by an increase in oxidative stress and enhanced inflammatory responses associated with immune cell invasion of adipose tissues. This study assessed several biochemical abnormalities, apoptosis, oxidative stress status, and associated histological changes in the liver, duodenum, and heart brought on by high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats. It also assessed the mechanistic benefits of curcumin in reversing these inflammatory, metabolic, and histological impairments.

Methods: Rats were assigned into three groups each including ten rats: the control group (CD), the high-fat diet group (HFD), and the high-fat diet + curcumin (HFDC) group. Serum glucose, insulin, and triglycerides (TAGs) were observed. In addition, apoptosis (indicated by hepatic DNA fragmentation) and oxidative stress status (indicated by hepatic MPO, GSH, and SOD) were assessed. Histopathological examinations included the GIT (liver and duodenum) and heart in addition to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays of the adipose tissue genetic expressions for inflammatory signaling pathways (TLR4, IL-6, and TNF-α).

Results: The overall findings showed that the HFD group exhibited significantly higher levels of glucose, TAGs, and insulin than the control group (P < 0.01). The histological abnormalities of the studied organs in the HFD group were paralleled by these biochemical abnormalities, which were strongly associated with increased apoptosis, increased oxidative stress, and increased expression of the inflammatory signaling markers. There were significant improvements in the HFDC group in terms of biochemical, inflammatory, and histological investigations.

Conclusions: This study's findings concluded that obesity is significantly associated with biochemical and microscopic alterations in many organs. Curcumin exerted potent antitoxic, antioxidant, tissue-protective, and antiobesity effects. Curcumin is recommended to be added to various dietary regimens to prevent or delay the organs' dysfunction among obese people.