Antihyperlipidemic and antiapoptotic potential of zingerone on alcohol induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats

The ultimate aim of this present study was to investigate the antihyperlipidemic and antiapoptotic potential of zingerone (ZO) on alcohol induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats. Male albino wistar rats were divided in four groups. Groups 1 and 2 rats received isocaloric glucose and dimethyl sulphoxide (2% DMSO), liver toxicity was induced in groups 3 and 4 by supplementing 30% ethanol post orally for 60 days. In addition to, groups 2 and 4 received zingerone (20 mg/kg body weight in 2% DMSO) daily during the final 30 days of the experimental period. Ethanol alone administered rats showed increased levels/activities of plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA), phospholipids (PL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), tissue TC, TG, FFA, PL, HMG-CoA reductase, phase I xenobiotic enzymes, collagen and fat accumulation, DNA damage and increased Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 expressions and decrease in the levels/activities of plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT), phase II xenobiotic enzymes and a decreased Bcl-2 expression. Zingerone supplementation was able to counter and reverse the ethanol induced changes in all the above parameters in experimental rats. Together results portray zingerone exhibits antihyperlipidemic and antiapoptotic potential on alcohol induced hepatotoxicity.