ENZYMATIC MARKERS OF LIVER STATUS UNDER THE CONDITION OF ADMINISTRATION OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF THE MUSHROOM HERICIUM ALPESTRE TO ANIMALS WITH ACETAMINOPHEN INTOXICATION

Abstract

The work is devoted to the determination of enzymatic markers of liver status under conditions of acetaminophen intoxication and administration of ethanol extract of the mushroom Hericium alpestre. The study was conducted on 4 groups of animals: C – control animals; EНA – rats that were administered per os 20% ethanolic extract of fruiting bodies of the fungus Hericium alpestre at a concentration of 200 μg/kg body weight for 10 days; AII – animals with acetaminophen-induced liver injury; EНA+ AII – animals that were administered per os 20% ethanolic extract of fruiting bodies of the fungus Hericium alpestre at a concentration of 200 μg/kg body weight for 10 days before modeling acute acetaminophen-induced toxic damage. The activity of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase was determined, and the de Ritis coefficient was calculated as markers of the functional state of the liver, under the conditions of acetaminophen intoxication and the administration of ethanolic extract of the mushroom Hericium alpestre. The determination of enzymatic activities was carried out on a biochemical analyzer, Biochem FC-120. Liver sections of animals of different experimental groups stained with hematoxylin and eosin were evaluated histologically. It was established that the preliminary administration of ethanolic extract of the mushroom Hericium alpestre at a dose of 200 μg/kg of body weight for 10 days exhibits hepatoprotective effects in acetaminophen-induced toxicity, since the activity of ALT, AST and alkaline phosphatase under the conditions of the administration of the studied extract significantly decreases and approaches the level of control values against the background of the absence of histological signs of liver cell death. The obtained results indicate that the mushroom H. alpestre can be considered as a valuable source of biologically active compounds with hepatoprotective activity, has significant potential for the development of hepatoprotective drugs based on it, and is a promising candidate for the development of new preventive strategies.