Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activity of Hordeum vulgare Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. family Graminae) is the most common one of about 31 species of barley in the temperate Northern hemisphere. Barley leaves have been studied for its antioxidant activity, but only in vitro studies were encountered. This study was designed to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of barley leaves and grains in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) intoxicated rats. Sixty rats were randomly distributed among six groups; Control group (1), leaves water extract (2), leaves ethanol extract (3), grains aqueous extract (4), grains ethanol extract (5), and CCl₄ group (6). Groups receiving different barley extracts (350 mg/kg) were also receiving CCl₄ (50µL/100 g I.P.) twice a week. Blood and liver samples were collected after two weeks of treatments and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), liver reduced glutathione (liver GSH) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Treated animals showed non-significant decrease in liver GSH as compared to control rats and reduced level of MDA which was vey elevated in CCl₄ groups. The level of AST and ALT in treated and control groups were significantly different from the CCl₄ group. The antioxidant effect may be attributed to the free radical scavenging potential caused by the presence of flavonoid-C-glycosides in leaves and phenolic acids accompanied with the cell wall of the grains as well as antioxidant minerals such as zinc [1 – 3]. This study suggests that barley plant may be a great gain in the current search for drugs of natural source.

Group	ALT (U/L)	AST (U/L)	GSH (µg/g)	MDA (nmol/g)
1	5.7 ±.6b	100.80 ± 4.05 b	106.6 ± 17.5b	152.0 ± 2.9 b
2	10.9 ± 0.9 b	75.12 ± 3.06 b	106.1 ± 16.4b	204.0 ± 18.6 b
3	13.2 ± 0.8 b	72.09 ± 2.01b	88.9 ± 2.2	199.5 ± 8.4 b
4	8.8 ± 1.5 b	55.20 ± 1.07b	90.6 ± 11.5	209.0 ± 9.5 b
5	9.8 ± 0.8 b	76.5 ± 2.90 b	72.3 ± 13.8	211.0 ± 7.2 b
6	39.9 ± 1.7 a	147.20 ± 2.83 a	58.3 ± 9.3a	549.7 ± 20.3a

References: [1] Ogeturk M, et al. (2004)J Physiol Biochem, 60: 205 – 210. [2] Rikke N, et al. (2000)J Ag Food Chem, 48: 1703 – 1707. [3] Toshihiko O, et al. (1992)J Ag Food Chem, 40: 1135 – 1138.