Evaluating the Liver Toxicity of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Momordica Charantia in Male Balb/C Mice

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

3 Professor, Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

Abstract

Background: Momordica charantia (bitter melon) is known for its hypoglycemic effect and widely used for the treatment of diabetes. This study other than evaluating plant antioxidant and its effect on blood antioxidant capacity, examined the effects and safety of bitter melon fruit in laboratory mice.Methods: 70 male mice (2-3 weeks old, body weight 25-30 g) were randomly divided into 7 groups. The mice were acclimatized to laboratory conditions for 7 days and at day 8, they were dosed intraperitoneally (single dose groups: 0, 100, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 mg/kg and the group which was treated for 7 days: 500 mg/kg/day). Mice were then observed for 72 hours before they were scarified, immediately livers were taken for histology. Serum samples were assayed for liver functions [alkaline phosphatase (ALT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)]. Blood and bitter melon antioxidant activity was measured.Findings: All single dose groups showed normal behavior after the dosing and no statistical changes were observed in all liver parameters including for SGOT, SGPT or ALP (P > 0.05). Lab data were shown as follow: ALP = 204.7 ± 88.0, SGOT = 180.8 ± 76.0, SGPT = 80.6 ± 54.0. Histological examinations revealed normal organ structures. Antioxidant activity of bitter melon was 68% and blood antioxidant activity was 564 µmol/ml.Conclusion: Doses up to 4000 mg/kg did not have any effects on the mice liver functions nor its histology. We suggest more studies with different doses.

Keywords


  1. Rafieian-Kopaei M. Medicinal plants and the human needs. J Herbmed Plarmacol 2012; 1(1): 1–2.
  2. Nasri H, Shirzad H. Toxicity and safety of medicinal plants. J Herb Med Plarmacol 2013; 2(2): 21-2.
  3. Ghaderian SB, Beladi-Mousavi SS. The role of diabetes mellitus and hypertension in chronic kidney disease. J Renal Inj Prev 2014; 3(4): 109-10.
  4. Nazar CMJ. Mechanism of hypertension in diabetic nephropathy. J Nephropharmacol 2014; 3(2): 49-55.
  5. Tavafi M. Antioxidants against contrast media induced nephrotoxicity. J Renal Inj Prev 2014; 3(2): 55-6.
  6. Rafieian-Kopaei M, Baradaran A, Merrikhi A, Nematbakhsh M, Madihi Y, Nasri H. Efficacy of co-administration of garlic extract and metformin for prevention of gentamicin-renal toxicity in wistar rats: A biochemical study. Int J Prev Med 2013; 4(3): 258-64.
  7. Nasri H, Nematbakhsh M, Ghobadi S, Ansari R, Shahinfard N, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Preventive and curative effects of ginger extract against histopathologic changes of gentamicin-induced tubular toxicity in rats. Int J Prev Med 2013; 4(3): 316-21.
  8. Shahraki MR, Miri Moghadam E, Palan MJ. The survey of Teucrium Polium toxicity effect on liver and serum lipoproteins in normoglycemic male rat. Zahedan J Res Med Sci 2006; 8(3): 227-32. [In Persian].
  9. Mardani S, Nasri H, Hajian S, Ahmadi A, Kazemi R, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Impact of Momordica charantia extract on kidney function and structure in mice. J Nephropathol 2014; 3(1): 35-40.
  10. Basch E, Gabardi S, Ulbricht C. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): A review of efficacy and safety. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2003; 60(4): 356-9.
  11. Grover JK, Yadav SP. Pharmacological actions and potential uses of Momordica charantia: A review. J Ethnopharmacol 2004; 93(1): 123-32.
  12. Jayasooriya AP, Sakono M, Yukizaki C, Kawano M, Yamamoto K, Fukuda N. Effects of Momordica charantia powder on serum glucose levels and various lipid parameters in rats fed with cholesterol-free and cholesterol-enriched diets. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; 72(1-2): 331-6.
  13. Bano F, Akthar N, Naz H. Effect of the aqueous extracts of Momordica charantia on body weight of rats. J Basic Appl Sci 2011; 7(1): 1-5.
  14. Shibib BA, Khan LA, Rahman R. Hypoglycaemic activity of Coccinia indica and Momordica charantia in diabetic rats: Depression of the hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and elevation of both liver and red-cell shunt enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Biochem J 1993; 292 (Pt 1): 267-70.
  15. Platel K, Shurpalekar KS, Srinivasan K. Influence of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) on growth and blood constituents in albino rats. Nahrung 1993; 37(2): 156-60.
  16. Nazrul-Hakim M, Yaacob A, Adam Y, Zuraini A. Preliminary toxicological evaluations of polypeptide-k isolated from Momordica charantia in laboratory rats. International Journal of Biological, Biomolecular, Agricultural, Food and Biotechnological Engineering 2011; 5(3).
  17. Dixit VP, Khanna P, Bhargava SK. Effects of Momordica charantia L. fruit extract on the testicular function of dog. Planta Med 1978; 34(3): 280-6.
  18. Tennekoon KH, Jeevathayaparan S, Angunawala P, Karunanayake EH, Jayasinghe KS. Effect of Momordica charantia on key hepatic enzymes. J Ethnopharmacol 1994; 44(2): 93-7.
  19. Paul A, Raychaudhuri SS. Medicinal uses and molecular identification of two Momordica charantia varieties–a review. Electronic Journal of Biology 2010; 6(2): 43-51.
  20. Raman A, Lau C. Anti-diabetic properties and phytochemistry of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae). Phytomedicine 1996; 2(4): 349-62.
  21. Virdi J, Sivakami S, Shahani S, Suthar AC, Banavalikar MM, Biyani MK. Antihyperglycemic effects of three extracts from Momordica charantia. J Ethnopharmacol 2003; 88(1): 107-11.
  22. Fallahzadeh MH, Fallahzadeh MA. On the occasion of world kidney disease 2016; renal disease in children. Acta Persica Pathophysiol 2016; 1(1): e04.
  23. Pokorny J, Yanishlieva N, Gordon MH. Antioxidants in food: practical applications. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2001.p. 50-60.
  24. Amiri M, Motamedi P, Vakili L, Dehghani N, Kiani F, Taheri Z, et al. Beyond the liver protective efficacy of silymarin; bright renoprotective effect on diabetic kidney disease. J Nephropharmacol 2014; 3(2): 25-6.
  25. Pooladvand V, Taghavi MM, Mahmoodi M, Tavakolian V. Histological alterations due to the consumption of different doses of Citrullus colocynthis fruit in normal and diabetic male rats. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2011; 21(82): 63-72. [In Persian].
  26. Bahmani M, Rafieian M, Baradaran A, Rafieian S, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity evaluation of Crocus sativus stigmas in neonates of nursing mice. J Nephropathol 2014; 3(2): 81-5.
  27. Hajibabaei K. The role of antioxidants and pro-oxidants in the prevention and treatment of cancers. Ann Res Antioxid 2016; 1(1): e09.
  28. Dehghan Shahreza F. From oxidative stress to endothelial cell dysfunction. J Prev Epidemiol 2016; 1:e04.
  29. Lala MA, Nazar CMJ, Lala HA, Singh JK. Interrelation between blood pressure and diabetes. J Renal Endocrinol 2015; 1: e05.
  30. Kafeshani M. Ginger, micro-inflammation and kidney disease. J Renal Endocrinol 2015; 1: e04.
  31. Rafieian-Kopaei M, Baradaran A, Rafieian M. Plants antioxidants: From laboratory to clinic. J Nephropathol 2013; 2(2): 152-3.
  32. Hajivandi A, Amiri M. World Kidney Day 2014: Kidney disease and elderly. J Parathyr Dis 2014; 2(1): 3-4.
  33. Dehghan Shahreza F. Vascular protection by herbal antioxidants; recent views and new concepts. J Prev Epidemiol 2016; 1: e05.
  34. Baradaran A, Nasri H, Nematbakhsh M, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Antioxidant activity and preventive effect of aqueous leaf extract of Aloe Vera on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Clin Ter 2014; 165(1): 7-11.
  35. Nazar CMJ. Significance of diet in chronic kidney disease J Nephropharmacol 2013; 2(2): 37-43.
  36. Nasri H, Abedi-Gheshlaghi Z, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Curcumin and kidney protection; current findings and new concepts. Acta Persica Pathophysiol 2016; 1(1): e01.
  37. Nasri H, Behradmanesh S, Ahmadi A, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Impact of oral vitamin D (cholecalciferol) replacement therapy on blood pressure in type 2 diabetes patients; a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial. J Nephropathol 2014; 3(1): 29-33.
  38. Hajivandi A, Amiri M. World diabetes day: Diabetes mellitus and nephrology. J Nephropharmacol 2013; 2(2):31-2.
  39. Nasri H, Yazdani M. The relationship between serum LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. Kardiol Pol 2006; 64(12): 1364-8.
  40. Tavafi M, Hasanvand A, Ashoory H. Proximal convoluted tubule cells in ischemia and post-injury regeneration. Acta Persica Pathophysiol 2016; 1(1): e05.
  41. Benzie IF, Strain JJ. The ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) as a measure of "antioxidant power": The FRAP assay. Anal Biochem 1996; 239(1): 70-6.
  42. Mirhosseini M, Baradaran A, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Anethum graveolens and hyperlipidemia: A randomized clinical trial. J Res Med Sci 2014; 19(8): 758-61.
  43. Khodadadi S. Role of herbal medicine in boosting immune system. Immunopathol Persa 2015; 1(1): e01.
  44. Aleebrahim-Dehkordy E, Khodadadi S, Mousavipanah Z, Nasri H. Herbal antioxidants and kidney. Ann Res Antioxid 2016; 1(1): e10.
  45. Gulleroglu K, Bayrakci U, Tulgar KS, Uslu N, Ok AA, Sarialioglu F, et al. Neuroblastoma accompanied by hyperaldosteronism. J Renal Inj Prev 2014; 3(3): 79-82.
  46. Sabitha V, Ramachandran S, Naveen KR, Panneerselvam K. Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2011; 3(3): 397-402.
  47. Kaushik A, Jijta Ch, Kaushik JJ, Zeray R, Ambesajir A, Beyene L. FRAP (Ferric reducing ability of plasma) assay and effect of Diplazium esculentum (Retz) Sw. (a green vegetable of North India) on central nervous system. Indian J Nat Prod Resour 2012; 3(2): 228-31.
  48. Dehghan Shahreza F. Mechanistic impact of renal tubular cell protection by antioxidants. Ann Res Antioxid 2016; 1(1): e06.
  49. Baradaran A. Lipoprotein(a), type 2 diabetes and nephropathy; the mystery continues. J Nephropathol 2012; 1(3): 126-9.
  50. Ardalan MR. Noninvasive methods for diagnosis of chronic kidney disease related bone diseases; help or hindrance? J Parathyr Dis 2015; 3(2): 28-9.
  51. Amiri M, Hosseini SM. Diabetes mellitus type 1; is it a global challenge? Acta Epidemioendocrinol 2016; 1(1): e02.
  52. Nasri H, Shirzad H, Baradaran A, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Antioxidant plants and diabetes mellitus. J Res Med Sci 2015; 20(5): 491-502.
  53. Baradaran A, Nasri H, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Oxidative stress and hypertension: Possibility of hypertension therapy with antioxidants. J Res Med Sci 2014; 19(4): 358-67.
  54. Momeni A. Cardiovascular complications of renal failure in hemodialysis patients. Ann Res Dial 2016; 1(1): e05.
  55. Hajian S. Positive effect of antioxidants on immune system. Immunopathol Persa 2015; 1(1): e02.
  56. Hasanpour Z, Nasri H, Rafieian-Kopaei M, Ahmadi A, Baradaran A, Nasri P, et al. Paradoxical effects of atorvastatin on renal tubular cells: an experimental investigation. Iran J Kidney Dis 2015; 9(3): 215-20.
  57. Nasri H, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Metformin and diabetic kidney disease: a mini-review on recent findings. Iran J Pediatr 2014; 24(5): 565-8.
  58. Baradaran A, Nasri H, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Protection of renal tubular cells by antioxidants: current knowledge and new trends. Cell J 2015; 16(4): 568-71.