EVALUATION OF XANTHINE OXIDASE ACTIVITY AND LIPID PEROXIDATION STATUSIN BOTH HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND HEPATOCURATIVE EFFECT OF THYMOQUINONE AGAINST CCL4 TOXICITY

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vivoinfluence of orally thymoquinone(TQ) hepatocurative and hepatoprotective treatments, on xanthine oxidase activityand lipid peroxidation status throughmalondialdehyde (MDA) level estimation, in plasma and liver homogenate, in male rats. Hepatotoxicity was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4at dose of 03 ml/kg, emulsified inolive oil (V/V), before or after orally treatment with TQ for 07 days, using two doses (2.5 and 05 mg/kg). Then, xanthine oxidase activity and MDA level wereevaluated in both plasma and liver homogenate of TQ-treated and no treated rats, using spectrophotometry methods. This study revealed that CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity is accompanied by a significant increase of xanthine oxidase activity with MDA level(p≤ 0.001), inplasma and liver homogenate. In addition, TQ treatment led to restore xanthine oxidase activity and decrease MDA level, in a dose dependent manner, in both plasma and tissues homogenates. These results suggest that Thymoquinone has asignificant in vivo hepatocurative and hepatoprotective effects through xanthine oxidase and lipid peroxidation inhibition properties