Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potentials of Lemon Juice and Sorghum Ogi (lemon-ogi) Mixture against Paracetamol-Induced Liver Damage in Rats

Abstract

This study is aimed to determine the hepatoprotective activity and antioxidant properties of aqeous extract of Sorghum porridge (Ogi), a Sorghum fermentation product, mixed with lemon to form Lemon-Ogi mixture at various concentrations after inducing liver injury in rats. Rats were divided into 9 groups (n=4) the positive control group, negative control group, normal control and the treated groups (which include extracts at varying concentrations between 0-50% v/v). Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by oral administration of paracetamol (1 g/kg body weight) suspended in normal saline on the first day of the experiment. After 7 days of post-treatment with the test mixture (Lemon-Ogi), biochemical markers such as L-aspartate aminotransferase (AST), L-alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma Glutamyl transferase (GGT) were estimated. This was followed by the measurement of liver cytosolic antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan post hoc test. The test mixture at concentrations of 30-50%v/v significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the elevated levels of AST, ALT, GGT when compared with the negative control animals. The Lemon-Ogi mixture also showed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) increase in the reduced levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and peroxidase when compared with the negative control. The effects of the Lemon-Ogi mixture on these parameters were comparable with those of the standard drug, Vitamin E at 50% (v/v) concentration. The findings of this study indicate that Lemon-Ogi mixture showed a potential hepatoprotective activity and the protective action might have manifested by restoring the hepatic SOD, catalase, and peroxidase levels. The results of this study validate the traditional use of Sorghum porridge steep water as a strong antioxidant.

Keywords: Paracetamol-Hepatotoxicity, Biochemical Marker Enzymes, Antioxidant Enzymes, Lemon, Ogi