Antioxidant potential of naringin – a dietary flavonoid – in N-Nitrosodiethylamine induced rat liver carcinogenesis

The study aims at elucidating the antioxidant efficacy of naringin in N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) induced rat liver carcinogenesis. Administration of naringin (40 mg/kg BW orally) for 16 weeks to DEN-induced (200 mg/kg BW in drinking water) rats, offered protection against the oxidative stress and thereby prevented liver carcinogenesis. Animals induced with DEN showed decreased body weight with increased liver weight, while this was not observed in rats treated with naringin. DEN induction in experimental animals resulted in increased activities of liver marker enzymes AST, ALT, ALP, albumin, and bilirubin, total protein and lipid peroxide levels, and decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, GST and GPX). Naringin treatment restored the elevated activities of liver marker enzymes and antioxidant status to near-normal with decreased lipid peroxide levels. Histological observations of liver tissue too correlated the above biochemical findings. Hence, these results clearly suggest that naringin treatment prevents liver damage, lipid peroxidation and protects the antioxidant defense system in DEN-induced liver carcinogenesis in rats.