Zingerone mitigates hepatic injury associated with Dimethylnitrosamine exposure in male adult Wistar rats

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Dimethyl nitrosamine (DMN) burden compromises liver function due to its complicated pathophysiology. Zingerone (ZG), is a phenolic compound in ginger rhizome with pharmacological potential against chemo toxin mediated hepatic damage. This study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of Zingerone against DMN in the liver METHODOLOGY: Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into groups of 6 rats each. Group A (control), Group B (given 10mg/kg DMN for 4 weeks). Group C, D, E, F (Pre-treated with oral doses of 25mg/kg, 50mg/kg, 75mg/kg body weight of ZG and 50mg/kg of silymarin respectively for 4weeks followed thereafter with 10mg of DMN for 4weeks). At the end of experiment, the animals (fasted) were sacrificed; blood samples obtained for assay of Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) activity, Total bilirubin concentration (Tbil) and the liver harvested for histological and histochemical evaluations. Data obtained were analysed using graph pad prism, 8.0 and Image J for quantifying staining intensity. RESULTS: ZG pre-treated rats showed significantly (p<0.05) decreased GGT activity and Tbil concentration compared to DMN-alone exposed rats. Furthermore, necrotic changes with inflammatory cell infiltrations, vascular ulceration, pyknotic hepatocytes with sinusoidal distortions in the histology of DMN alone treated rats were minimal in ZG pre-administered rats. Despite fasting, DMN-alone exposed rats still showed strong PAS reaction, associated with impaired glycogenolysis and unregulated glycogenesis. However, moderate intrahepatic glycogen store depicted by mild PAS reaction were seen in ZG pre-treated rats. These were particularly visible at 75mg/kg, comparing favorably to control and silymarin pre-treated rats. CONCLUSION: Zingerone is a promising hepatoprotective agent against DMN hepatic injury.