The protective effects of Curcuma longa extract on oxidative stress markers in the liver induced by Adriamycin in rats

Introduction: the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of curcuma longa (c. longa) extract on adriamycin-induced hepatotoxicity in rat. methods: animals were divided in six groups: control (co), adriamycin (adr), adriamycin with vitamin c (adr+vitc), vitamin c (vit c), c. longa with adriamycin (cl+adr) and without adriamycin (cl-adr). hepatotoxicity was induced by adriamycin 5mg/kg and rats were treated with c. longa 1000 mg/kg and vitamin c 100 mg/kg , per day, orally for 4 weeks. results: in the liver tissue of adr group, malonyldialdehyde (mda) level was increased significantly compared to co group, (p < 0.05). mda level in the treatment groups, vit c, cl+adr and cl-adr were increased significantly compared to adr group (p < 0.05, for all three groups), and compared to adr+vitc group (p < 0.01). thiol level in adr, adr+vitc and cl+adr groups were decreased compared to co group (p < 0.001), and also thiol level in cl-adr and vit c were increased significantly compared to adr group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001 respectively). the activity of catalase in liver tissue in adr group was lower compared to co group (p < 0.01), though was increased in cl-adr, adr+vitc and vit c groups in comparison with adr group (p<0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). conclusion: the results showed that chronic administration of c. longa hydroalcoholic extract in adriamycin-induced hepatotoxic rats could decrease the oxidative stress injuries in the liver tissue.