Punicalagin alleviates hepatotoxicity in rats challenged with cyclophosphamide

•Cyclophosphamide induces hepatotoxicity via oxidative/nitrative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.•Punicalagin has antioxidant, antinitrative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects.•Punicalagin dose-dependently protected against cyclophosphamide hepatotoxicity in rats.

This study investigated the possible hepatoprotection of punicalagin in rats received cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg/day, i.p., for 7 days). Punicalagin given at two doses, 15 and 30 mg/kg/day, p.o., for 7 days, starting the same day of cyclophosphamide administration. Punicalagin significantly and dose-dependently reduced the elevations of serum alanine aminotransferase, and liver nuclear factor-κB p65, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, inducible nitric oxide synthase, caspases 3 and 9 activities, and prevented the decrease of hepatic total antioxidant capacity. Punicalagin also attenuated the histopathological liver tissue damage, and decreased cyclooxygenase-2 expression in liver of rats received cyclophosphamide in a dose-dependent manner. It was concluded that punicalagin protected rat liver against cyclophosphamide toxicity by inhibiting oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.