Pharmacodynamic evaluation of dietary supplementation of averrhoa carambola fruit extract against lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Lead is a toxicant that may induce a wide range of social, biochemical, and physiological changes in humans. This study is undertaken to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects of dietary supplementation of Averrhoa carambola, fruit extract (ACF) against lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Six groups of rats were used in this study namely, control, lead acetate (20 mg kg-1, ip), lead acetate (20 mg kg-1, ip) + 200 mg kg-1 silymarin orally (reference drug), lead acetate + 100 mg kg-1 ACF orally, lead acetate + 150 mg kg-1 ACF orally and lead acetate + 200 mg kg-1 ACF extract orally. All experimental groups except the control received the lead acetate by intraperitoneal route for 5 days and normal saline or silymarin or ACF by oral route employing an orogastric cannula for seven days. Lead intoxication leads to a significant increase in ALT and AST activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), and a significant decline in liver homogenate, reduced glutathione (GSH) level, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Different doses of ACF supplement, as well as silymarin, led to improving biochemical parameters of serum and liver and prohibited the lead acetate-induced significant changes in plasma and antioxidant status of the liver. ACF or silymarin supplement exhibited more antioxidant activity. Conclusively, the present work results reveals that the treatment of lead-intoxicated rats with A. carambola fruit extract supplement revealed a significant increase in GSH level, CAT, SOD activity, and a decrease in TBARS levels as compared to lead-intoxicated rats, indicating its antioxidant activity