Positive effects of leaves of Erodium glaucophyllum on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defence depletion induced by obesity

Abstract

Medicinal plants are sources of natural antioxidants thanks to their secondary metabolites. Previous studies showed that administration of Erodium glaucophyllum (EG) (Geraniaceae family) was found to alleviate the deleterious effects of obesity-induced damage on liver, heart and kidney. This study, carried out on adult male Wistar rats, evaluates the inhibitory effects of supplementation with E. glaucophyllum extract on obesity. Under our experimental conditions, administration of Erodium aqueous extract decreased the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels as well as ASAT, ALAT, LDH, PAL levels and TBARS concentration; and increased the (HDL) with the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx) in liver, heart and kidney, compared to HFD group. The anti-obesity effects of the Erodium extract in several organs were mainly due to the interaction of these bioactive molecules (polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannin compounds) and the enzyme system which could be determined by phytochemical analysis.

Keywords:

• Erodium glaucophyllum
• obese rat
• antioxidant enzymes
• lipid peroxidation

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express our special thanks to the unit of common services in the Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, Tunisia for technical support. The authors also express their gratitude to Mr Zied Tlili for his diligent revision of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.