Assessment of Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activity of Probiotic Food LDB-ST against Paracetamol-induced Liver Damage in Rats

Recently, the probiotics' therapeutic influence on different hepatic disorders has been established. Given the fact that free radicals are involved in the toxic liver injury pathogenesis, it was important to investigate whether the probiotic cocktail LDB-ST could be used as an antioxidant and a hepatoprotective agent. The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the probiotic food in question against Paracetamol (PCM) induced liver injury in 24 male Wistar rats (divided into four groups, n=6) were evaluated. The PCM-treatment (1200 mg/kg b. w., p. o.) resulted in serious hepatotoxic injury and increase in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels. On the other hand, the animals pre-treated with LDB-ST (1600 mg/kg b. w., p. o.) for 60 days prior to PCM-gavaging, showed significant improvement of the biochemical markers. The methodical LDB-ST-treatment also led to maintaining the reduced glutathione level to 71% and also reduced malondialdehyde production by 14%. The conducted histopathological examination reaffirmed the hepatoprotective effect of the probiotic food against PCM-induced liver damage, as there was no fatty degeneration observed and fewer focal necrosis, acidophilic necrosis, and nonspecific granulomas established (vs. PCM-overdosed group). The oral long-term treatment with LDB-ST resulted in a significant protection against lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the applied animal model.