A Biochemical Study of Agarwood on Methanol Injection in Rat
Author(s): Asmaa F. Hamouda
Abstract
Agarwood has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroleptic and sedative effects along with other benefits. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during the detoxification of alcohols, xenobiotics and drugs, which generates oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and injuries. The effect of Agarwood extracts on nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2), LOX (lipoxygenase), caspase-3, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), monoamine oxidase (MAO) and DNAF (DNA fragmentation) levels in the liver and brain separately in rats treated and untreated with methanol was studied. The injection of rats with methanol caused an elevation in liver and brain NO, MDA, ACHE, COX-2, LOX, TNF-α, Caspase-3, MAO and DNAF compared to the control. Treatment of animals with Agarwood extract pre, during and post-methanol administration improved the liver’s and brain’s biological parameters versus the methanol group. We therefore indicated that Agarwood diminished oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by methanol, and this may be based on a protective effect of Agarwood chemical compositions.