Protective Effects of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Persea americana Seed against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatorenal Toxicity and Antioxidant Activity in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is associated with oxidative stress and injury to the liver and kidney. This study evaluated the antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects of an ethyl acetate extract of Persea americana seed in male Wistar rats. Thirty adult male rats were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 5). Group 1 received distilled water; Group 2 received APAP (1000 mg/kg); Group 3 received APAP plus vitamin E (200 mg/kg); and Groups 4–6 received APAP plus 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of the seed extract, respectively. All treatments were administered via oral gavage. Extract-treated groups were pretreated for 7 days before the induction of toxicity with APAP and post-treated for 14 days. Oxidative stress markers and liver and renal biochemical indices were assessed. Data were expressed as mean ± SEM and analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A significance level of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. APAP significantly decreased GSH, catalase, and SOD and increased MDA (p < 0.05). Treatment with the extract at the higher dose of 400 mg/kg improved the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (0.46 ± 0.02 U/mg protein) and reduced glutathione (GSH) (3.47 ± 0.32 µmol/mg protein) and significantly ameliorated APAP-induced hepatorenal toxicity (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by ALT (45.50 ± 3.16 U/L vs. 35.50 ± 0.65 U/L), ALP (138.70 ± 1.58 U/L vs. 65.00 ± 0.82 U/L), AST (97.50 ± 8.47 U/L vs. 54.75 ± 4.33 U/L), and GGT (11.25 ± 1.11 U/L vs. 6.91 ± 0.41 U/L). Kidney function tests revealed significant decreases in renal parameters, including Na (152.67 ± 2.66 mmol/L vs. 136.84 ± 1.67 mmol/L), K (8.25 ± 0.050 mmol/L vs. 4.74 ± 0.69 mmol/L), urea (35.03 ± 1.45 mg/dL vs. 17.82 ± 1.08 mg/dL), and creatinine (1.34 ± 0.67 mg/dL vs. 0.62 ± 0.09 mg/dL). The findings suggest that ethyl acetate extract of P. americana seed has antioxidant and dose-dependent hepatorenal protective activity against APAP-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats.