Antioxidants and radical scavenging role of Leek (Allium kurrat) against aflatoxin-contaminated peanut

Abstract

The rats treated with leek (Allium kurrat) extract before and after their hepatotoxicity induction by aflatoxins (AFs) B1 and B2 showed a significant decrease in the levels of the oxidation radicals and a significant increase in the level of these hepatic enzymes compared to their corresponding values of the AF-treatment. These levels approached to those corresponding values of the negative control. The histological investigation confirmed strongly the highly protective effect of the leek extract in the hepatocytes. These findings suggest that the leek extract is effective in improving both the function and structure of the hepatocytes through a potent antioxidant effect.

Keywords:

• Aflatoxins
• antioxidants
• Allium kurrat
• leek
• detoxification

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the technical staff of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt for their helpful assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research work was partially supported by the Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.