Beneficial effect of gallic acid on oxidative stress and chronic hepatotoxicity induced by carcinogenic benzopyrene in rats

Abstract

benzo[a]pyrene is an environmental pollutant, well known for its powerful genotoxic and carcinogenic effects in various
organs. Gallic acid, a widely distributed phenolic acid, possesses strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic
activities. This study investigated the effects of gallic acid on chronic liver injury induced by benzo[a]pyrene in Wistar rats.
The intoxicated group received an intraperitoneally single dose of benzo[a]pyrene at 100 mg/kg, while the treated animals
were intraperitoneally injected with benzo[a]pyrene at 100 mg/kg and then they orally received gallic acid at 100 mg/kg per
day for five consecutive days. The liver toxicity was assessed by evaluation of the serum hepatic markers (alanine
aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), the enzymatic and nonenzymatic oxidative stress indicators and the
histopathological changes. The benzo[a]pyrene administration increased the levels of malondialdehyde with a concomitant
decrease in superoxide dismutase, glutathione-s-transferase and glutathione. Parralelly, liver histological alterations were
observed. The animals treatment with gallic acid restored the alterations in liver tissues, decreased lipid peroxidation and
serum marker enzyme activity and significantly improved the overall antioxidant capacity, suggesting that gallic acid was
responsible of a beneficial effects against oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity induced by benzo[a]pyrene in rat.