Protective Effects of Fagonia Tenuifolia Methanolic Extracts against Hyperhomocysteinemia Produced by Methionine, by Repeal of Oxidative Stress Markers in Mice

Natural products were extracted from many Fagonia species, belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family. They are used currently as drugs, these elements act as free radical scavengers. There are lot of stimuli which is able to produce oxidative stress, including hyperhomocysteinemia. There is accumulated evidence that free radicals can attack biological molecules such as lipids, proteins, and DNA, and causes changes in their molecular pathways that supports the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. In this work, the protective effects of methanolic extracts from Fagonia tenuifolia on methionine induced hyperhomocysteinemia in mice, on oxidative stress and damages in the aorta were sought. For the understanding of the opposite effects of F. tenuifolia against hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress, certain biochemical, enzymatic parameters and histological sections of aorta in mice exposed to oral methionine or/and methanolic extracts were evaluated after 3 weeks of treatments. After the administration of 200 mg/kg of methionine, hyperhomocysteinemia was produced, and a significant development of oxidative stress was indicated by the decrease of GSH level and GPx activity, while, an elevation of MDA amount, GST, and CAT activities were clearly documented, these damages were associated with the decrease in lumen diameter of the aorta. On the other hand, the supplementation of crude extracts at 10 mg/kg caused improvement of all previous parameters towards its normal ranges. This study suggests that the dysfunction due to high oxidative stress produced by hyperhomocysteinemia in mice is neutralized by methanolic extracts of F. tenuifolia.