Protective effect of Aloe vera gel extract plant on liver diseases of experimental rats

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

The present study was carried out to investigate the protective role of Aloe vera gel plant extract on carbon tetrachloride CCl4 induced changes in liver enzymes of albino rats. Aloe vera is a medicinal plant belonging to the family Liliaceae, which has a wide range of therapeutic applications.
Sixty-four male Albino rats weighing about 130±5 g were taken and divided into eight groups, each with eight rats. The first group is the control (-) and fed on normal diet for 6 weeks. The second group received subcutaneous injection with CCL4 in paraffin oil (50% v/v 2 ml/kg) twice per week for 2 weeks to induce chronic damage in the liver tissue and fed on normal diet (control +). The third, fourth and fifth groups were  injected with CCL4 in paraffin oil twice per week for 2 weeks then fed on 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9ml Aloe vera suspension gel (50 mg/mL), respectively by epi-gastric tube for remnant 4 weeks (injection groups). The sixth, seventh and eighth groups fed first on normal diet plus 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9ml Aloe vera suspension gel, respectively by epi-gastric tube for first 4 weeks then they were injected with CCL4 in paraffin oil twice per week for remnant 2 weeks with continued fed on the same concentrations of Aloe vera suspension gel (protected groups).
 The results indicated that Aloe vera powder increased the nutritional value of all treatments (protein, fat, carbohydrate and crude fiber), vitamin E (6.54μg/ml) and phenols (0.39 mg/100mg). Also, body weight gain (BWG) in protected group with 0.9 ml Aloe vera suspension gel (50 mg/mL) recorded the best result (58.90%) comparing with the control (-) (42.92%). Injected groups showed ratios of weight change or suffered a weight loss in liver comparing with control (+), ranged from -34.78 in 0.3ml to -11.37% in 0.9ml Aloe vera suspension gel after 6 weeks. Feeding rats on different ratios of Aloe vera gel decreased serum AST and ALT enzymes compared to the control (+) group. Also, decreased the mean values of uric acid, urea and creatinine in all tested groups was noticed compared to the control (+) group (2.43±0.17, 38.00±5.0 and 0.86±0.12, respectively). The best reduction in lipid profile was (89.60±12.41) for the triglycerides in high concentration of Aloe vera gel (0.9 ml) and follow by 0.6ml (90.60±18.57) and 0.3ml (91.80±8.81) comparing with control (+) in protected group.  
Aloe vera improved liver and kidney histopathology in carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats fed on different ratios of its extract (protective groups).

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