Pharmacological and antioxidant actions of garlic andor onion in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (nafld)‎ in rats

Abstract EN

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a broad spectrum of fat-induced liver injury, ranging from mild steatosis to cirrhosis and liver failure.

This study investigates the hepatoprotective properties of garlic and onion in NAFLD rat model.

Ninety male Sprague- Dawley rats were randomly divided into 9 groups; normal (I), NAFLD induced with high fat diet (HFD; II), NAFLD switched to regular diet (RD; III), NAFLD-HFD or NAFLD-RD treated with garlic (IV, V), onion (VI, VII) or the combined garlic+onion (VIII, IX) respectively.

A NAFLD rat model was established by feeding the animals with a high-fat diet for 12 wk.

These animals were then treated with garlic or/and onion or vehicle for 8 wk (weeks 13-20) and then killed to obtain serum samples and liver tissues.

Liver histology, lipids, parameters of oxidative stress, TNF- and TGF- were measured.

The liver in NAFLD-HFD showed typical steatosis, accompanied with mild to moderate lobular inflammatory cell infiltration.

Serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, leptin, cholesterol, triglycerides, TNF-α, TGF- and hepatic MDA were significantly increased (P<0.05) compared with normal group.

This was accompanied with reduction of hepatic GSH, GR, GPx, GST, SOD and serum adiponectin.

These changes were to a less degree in NAFLD-RD group.

Combined administration of garlic+onion produced a better and significant decrease in liver steatosis, serum liver enzymes, oxidative markers and lipid peroxidation versus each one alone.

In the same time, NAFLD-induced inflammation was also mitigated via reduction of TNF- and TGF-.

In addition, these results were better in the group IX versus group VIII.-