Raphanus sativus extract prevents and ameliorates zearalenone-induced peroxidative hepatic damage in Balb/c mice.

OBJECTIVES: Raphanus sativus (radish) is a species of crucifer, which includes widely consumed vegetables, distributed in Asia, Africa and Europe. It is a rich source of bioactive molecules including anthocyanins, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and other flavonoids, and miscellaneous phenolic substances. We have evaluated the hepatoprotection of R. sativus extract against zearalenone, an estrogenic mycotoxin initiating hepatotoxicity in male Balb/c mice.

METHODS: Animals were divided into seven treatment groups and treated orally each day for twenty eight days as follows: a control, an olive oil group, group I, group II, and group III treated with radish extract alone (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg, respectively), group IV treated with zearalenone (40 mg/kg), and group V treated with zearalenone plus the lowest dose of radish extract.

KEY FINDINGS: Administration of zearalenone alone resulted in significant decreases in the levels of alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in the liver, suggesting hepatic damage. Moreover, a marked increase in the level of lipid peroxide and concomitant decrease of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, RNA and DNA concentrations were also observed in the liver tissue of zearalenone-treated mice. Co-treatment with R. sativus extract plus zearalenone succeeded in reversing the condition back to normal levels for all studied parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: By itself R. sativus extract did not show any toxic effects and could be considered as a potent hepatoprotectant.