Yousif A. Elhassaneen^1,, Seham A. Kheder¹, Hagar E. Soliman¹

During the research, the goal was to test the hepatoprotective ability of a Delonix regia flower ethanol extract (DRFE) on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced hepatic toxicity in rats. Thirty rats in this paper consisted of a normal control group and a hepatotoxic group, which was subjected to DRFE at doses of 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg over the 28 days. B[a]P treatment resulted in significant reductions in body weight (-35.16%), feed intake (-37.48%), feed efficiency ratio (-27.36%), and liver weight (- 24.61%), and an increase in serum liver enzyme (AST, +187%, ALT, +164%, ALP, +88.6%), total bilirubin (+208.9%) and direct bilirubin (+234.2%), and the reduction in total protein (-25.3%). There was a violation of the balance of glutathione (GSH, -65.76%, GSSG, +31.08%, GSH/GSSG +73.88%), and an increase in the number of ROS (+241.79%) and MDA (+70.87%). The dose-dependent treatment of DRFE restored nutritional and hepatic parameters, the highest dose (600 mg/kg) improving body weight (+47.46%), liver weight (+24.20%), AST (−53.2%), ALT (−44.5%), ALP (−38.6%), total bilirubin (−51.1%), direct bilirubin (−47.8%), total protein (+20.52%), albumin (+32.78%), GSH (+109.97%). Such protective activities are attributed to the DRFE flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenoids that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and membrane-stabilizing properties, repairing liver functioning, redox, and protein production. In general, DRFE had a good hepatoprotective effect against the B[a]P-induced toxicity with increasing doses which also indicates that it has a high potential in the use as a natural and plant-based agent in reducing the liver damage caused by environmental or dietary hepatotoxins.

Liver enzyme, bilirubin, glutathione, cytochrome P450, lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde