Therapeutic Effect of Nigella sativa on Alcohol-induced Liver Disease in Rats

Background: Alcohol-induced fatty liver disease is the earliest liver disorder associated with excessive consumption of alcohol. Various treatment regimens have been proposed for the treatment of alcohol-induced liver disorders including the use of medicinal plants such as Nigella sativa (NS), a miracle plant with a wide spectrum of activities.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic property of NS total oil (TO) and neutral lipid fraction (NLF) on alcohol-induced liver injury in male albino rats. Methodology: The TO was first extracted from NS seed, and then fractionated using a chromatography column to obtain the NLF. These two extracts were used separately as treatment regimen for alcohol-induced liver toxicity in rats. Some serum biochemical markers of hepatic function including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and histopathological features of the liver section were assessed, and results were compared to those in the control group.

Results: Serum liver enzyme activities increased significantly (p<.05) in the ethanol-treated group compared with the control group. However, treatment with TO or NLF of NS seed caused a significant reduction in serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALP, ALT), cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose compare to the corresponding levels in the ethanol treated group. There were also improvement in histo-pathological features in the TO and NLF treated groups compared with alcohol-treated group.

Conclusion: Both extracts of NS seeds possess ameliorative potential against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.