Yousif A. Elhassaneen^1,, Mai A. Garib¹, Asmaa I. Bayomi², Esraa E. Salama¹

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is the main representative of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and has been repeatedly found in the air, surface water, soil, sediments and foods. Exposure to this ubiquitous environmental and food contaminants is associated with the development of several diseases including liver cancer. The current work was conducted to investigate the possible protective effects of onion (Allium cepa) skin extract (OSE) against toxicity and molecular damage in liver of rats induced by B[a]P. Injected of rats with B[a]P caused a significant increased (p≤0.05) in serum liver enzymes functions (AST, 60.16%, ALT, 111.31%, and ALP, 145.15%), serum lipid profile (total cholesterol, 8.54% and LDL-c, 52.61%), biological oxidants levels in serum such Malondialdehyde, (MDA), serum inflammation parameters (TNF-, 89.17, nitric oxide, 82.42%), hepatic CYP450, 81.41%, oxidative stress parameters (MDA, 59.54% and ROS, 283.67%), and a significant decreased (p≤0.05) in serum triglycerides (-9.09%), serum HDLC-c (-38.69%), and hepatic glycogen (-68.10%). Also, hepatic apoptosis biomarkers were altered, increase in caspase-3 and Bax (67.57 and 104.20%), and decrease in Bcl-2 (-69.43%) compared to normal control rats. Treatment with OSE by a concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg bw day) led to improve all of these biological parameters by different rates and positively manipulated B[a]P-related histopathological changes in liver tissues. The rate of prevention was recorded a dose-dependent manner as a result of OSE treatment. These findings supported our hypothesis that such plant part extract (OSE) contains several classes of bioactive compounds with different biological activities that are able to prevent and/or inhibit hepatotoxicity induced by B[a]P through one or more of the biochemical and molecular pathways. In conclusion, our present findings suggested that OSE could be used as antihepatotoxic complement of liver disease patients. This may be related to it's improve the liver functions, serum lipid profile, and antioxidant and inflammatory defense systems as well as the anti-apoptotic effect.

Liver functions, serum lipid profile, TNF-α, CYP450, nitric oxide, ROS, MDA, apoptosis