The antioxidant study proprieties of Thymus munbyanus aqueous extract and its beneficial effect on 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid -induced hepatic oxidative stress in albino Wistar rats

Abstract

Herein, we investigated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of thyme (Thymus munbyanus: AETM) on 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4 -D) - induced liver oxidative damage in rats. The phytochemical study of AETM revealed potent antioxidant properties owed to its richness in phenolic compounds including flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids. Further, in vivo animal study was conducted on 24 Wistar rats divided equally into control group and three treated groups, receiving orally AETM (10 ml/kg body weight (b.w), 2,4-D (5 mg/kg (b.w) and AETM + 2,4 – D (combined treatment) for 30 consecutive days. The results showed a significant increase in the enzymatic activity of transaminases (AST, ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl proteins (CPO), along with a significant decrease in plasma total protein, albumin, hepatic glutathione (GSH) contents, and the enzymatic activity of the hepatic antioxidant markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione- S- transferase (GST)) in 2,4- D treatment compared with control. Moreover, no significant changes in these parameters were noticed in AETM treated animals as compared to control, and hence the combined treatment (AETM + 2,4- D) showed a marked enhancement in the above altered hepatic functional and antioxidant parameters and liver histopathology. In conclusion, AETM, owing to its richness with phenolic compounds proved to be an efficient antioxidant against 2,4-D - induced liver oxidative damage, and hence complementary studies would be needed to appear the use of these compounds as supplements in treating liver impairment.

Keywords:

• 2,4-D
• Thymus munbyanus
• oxidative stress
• antioxidant
• liver injury
• rat

Author contributions

Tichati L collected and identified the plant, and performed the extraction procedure of Thymus munbyanus aqueous extract, phytochemical analysis, the animal experiments, and data analyses.

Trea F involved in the determination of the antioxidant markers, histopathological analyses, and discussion of results.

Ouali Kh supervised the project, wrote and submitted the manuscript, as well as responded to the reviewer’s comments and suggestions. All authors have read and approved this manuscript before submission.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Fund for Scientific Research of Algeria (Laboratory of Environmental Biosurveillance) and by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Algeria [PRFU project D01N01UN230120180020 to Pr. K. OUALI].