THE INTENSITY OF LIPID PEROXIDATION IN THE LIVER OF RATS WITH ACETAMINOPHEN-INDUCED TOXICITY TREATED WITH HERICIUM FLAGELLUM ETHANOLIC EXTRACT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/biosystems2026.01.028Keywords:
acetaminophen, liver, H. flagellum ethanolic extract, lipid peroxidation, conjugated, dienes, TBA-active products, Schiff basesAbstract
This study evaluates the rate of hydroxyl radical production and the development of lipid peroxidation within hepatic mitochondria under conditions of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and the therapeutic administration of Hericium flagellum ethanolic extract. The experimental animals were allocated into four distinct groups: C (intact control), AT (rats exposed to a toxic dose of acetaminophen), EHF (rats receiving a 10-day course of Hericium flagellum extract per os at 200 mg/kg body weight), and EHF+AT (rats undergoing a 10-day prophylactic treatment with the extract at 200 mg/kg before the induction of liver injury).
The findings demonstrate that toxic doses of acetaminophen trigger severe mitochondrial oxidative stress, evidenced by a more than 2.8-fold surge in hydroxyl radical (HO∙) generation compared to the control values. This escalation in free radical events within liver mitochondria was accompanied by a pronounced accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, including diene conjugates, TBA-reactive substances, and Schiff bases. Notably, the administration of the Hericium flagellum fruiting body ethanolic extract alone to healthy rats induced no statistically significant deviations from the control group across all measured parameters, confirming its safety profile.
Concurrently, preventive administration of the Hericium flagellum extract prior to acetaminophen intoxication resulted in a nearly 1.7-fold reduction in hydroxyl radical production. Furthermore, a significant decline in the levels of both primary and secondary lipid peroxidation products was observed relative to the untreated acetaminophen-intoxicated cohort. These outcomes suggest that the ethanolic extract of Hericium flagellum possesses robust antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, highlighting its potential as a promising agent for mitigating acetaminophen overdose.
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