Protective Effects of Jasonia montana Against Lipid Peroxidation in Liver and Kidney of Iron-overloaded Rats

Massive iron deposition in parenchymal organs, particularly in the liver, causes organ dysfunction, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and also hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present article is to investigate protective activity of Jasonia ethanolic extract against liver and kidney damage induced by iron-overloaded in adult rats in an attempt to understand its mechanism of action, which may pave the way for possible therapeutic applications. In vivo determination of antioxidant and chelating activities of the extract were employed. Orally administration of ferrous gluconate as a source of iron at 10 mg/kg b.w./day for 21 days to rats induced hepatocellular and renal cell damage. Oral administration of Jasonia ethanolic extract at a concentration of 150 mg/kg b.w. daily to rats treated with iron for 31 prior to iron overloaded-administration significantly prevented the increase in liver, kidney and serum iron, serum ferritin, serum transferrin levels, y-GT, a-GST and y-GT activities as well as serum NO and TNF- a level and hepatic MDA level as compare to iron-overloaded treated rats. The treatment also resulted in a significant increase in hepatic and kidney SOD, GPx, GR and CAT activities compare to iron-overloaded treated rats. High content of flavonoids and phenolic compounds was found in ethanolic extract, which may be responsible for free radical activity and as molecules of natural origin may serve as a template of new biologically active compounds possess capability of chelating iron. The results clearly suggest that the aerial parts of J. montana extract may effectively normalize the impaired antioxidant status in iron-overloaded rats model experiment. Thus the extract may have a therapeutic value in iron-overloaded-induced haemostasis.