Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TOXICON, cilt.247, 2024 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The consumption of mushrooms containing alpha-Amanitin (alpha-A) can lead to severe liver damage. In this study, toxicological experiments were conducted to confirm the protective effects of pomegranate seed oil (PSO) and black cumin oil (BCO) against alpha-A-induced hepatotoxicity. Rats exposed once to alpha-A (3 mg/kg bw, i.p.) or saline alone (0.1 ml, i.p.) were either left untreated or treated with PSO or BCO at a dose of 2 ml/kg bw/day by oral gavage on the same day, and the treatment was continued for 7 days. Serum aminotransferases (ALT and AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total protein levels were measured and the active caspase 3 (cl-caspase 3) was evaluated by western blotting in the liver. Serum ALT, AST and ALP levels tended to decrease in the alpha-A exposed group, but no statistically significant difference was found compared to the saline group (p > 0.05). PSO and BCO did not affect serum liver function tests in rats exposed to saline or alpha-A. alpha-A toxicity was demonstrated by a significant decrease in serum total protein level (p < 0.05), a significant increase in liver cl-caspase 3 expression (p < 0.05), and structural liver damage mainly characterized by mononuclear inflammation and steatosis. When alpha-A exposed rats were treated with BCO, the increase in cl-caspase 3 was not inhibited, on the contrary BCO increased cl-caspase 3 in healthy rats (p < 0.05). PSO significantly ameliorated alpha-A-induced cl-caspase 3 increase and inflammatory histopathology in the liver. Both PSO and BCO completely prevented alpha-A-induced protein degradation. The findings indicate that PSO and BCO may protect liver functions against alpha-A-induced hepatotoxicity, encouraging future comprehensive studies to test them at different doses and frequency.