Comparative assessment of Brassica nigra seed and its sprout ethanolic extracts against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats: insight into antioxidant and anti-apoptotic pathways

Background The liver’s central role in xenobiotic metabolism renders it highly susceptible to injury from oxidative stress. Therapeutic drug solutions for liver diseases remain limited. Natural medicinal plants present an option; sprouting is an emerging trend to maximize the plants’ bioactivity. This study explores, for the first time, a direct comparative assessment of the hepatoprotective effects of Brassica nigra (BN) seeds versus their sprout ethanolic extracts against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods Wistar rats were grouped into (1) negative control and (2) positive control. Rats in groups 3, 4, and 5 were gavaged with 100 mg/kg BW silymarin (drug control), 500 mg/kg BW of Brassica nigra (BN) seed ethanolic extract, and 500 mg/kg body weight BN sprout ethanolic extract, respectively, for 21 days. On day 22 of the experiment, all groups except the negative group were challenged with a single high dose of 3 g/kg paracetamol (APAP) orally. Results A high dose of APAP induced severe hepatotoxicity, evident in elevated serum liver enzymes, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. BN seed and BN sprout extracts attenuated hepatotoxicity, although the BN sprout extract demonstrated significantly superior efficacy. It more effectively normalized lipid profiles, rebalanced liver enzymes, particularly ALT and γ -GT, improved antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, SOD, and glutathione peroxidase), and reduced malondialdehyde. The apoptotic indicators cytokeratin-18 and caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 were also markedly decreased by BN sprout extract. Conclusion BN sprout extract exhibits significantly stronger hepatoprotective effects than its seed counterpart against APAP-induced acute liver injury. The pathway mechanism is attributed to enhanced antioxidants and anti-apoptotic activities, likely due to the higher concentration and bioavailability of phytochemicals achieved through the sprouting process. Brassica nigra sprout extract merits further clinical research to investigate its safety and therapeutic potential.