Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) has been shown to exert antibacterial, antifungal and
antioxidant activity possibly due to the presence of
naringenin, the
flavonoid with cytoprotective action on the gastric mucosa. No study so far has been undertaken to determine whether this GSE is also capable of preventing acute pancreatic damage induced by
ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which is known to result from reduction of anti-oxidative capability of pancreatic tissue, and whether its possible preventive effect involves an antioxidative action of this biocomponent. In this study carried out on rats with
acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis induced by 30 min partial pancreatic
ischemia followed by 6 h of reperfusion, the GSE or vehicle (vegetable
glycerin) was applied intragastrically in gradually increasing amounts (50-500 microl) 30 min before I/R. Pretreatment with GSE decreased the extent of
pancreatitis with maximal protective effect of GSE at the dose 250 microl. GSE reduced the
pancreatitis-evoked increase in serum
lipase and
poly-C specific ribonuclease activity, and attenuated the marked fall in pancreatic blood flow and pancreatic
DNA synthesis. GSE administered alone increased significantly pancreatic tissue content of lipid peroxidation products,
malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkens, and when administered before I/R, GSE reduced the
pancreatitis-induced lipid peroxidation. We conclude that GSE exerts protective activity against I/R-induced
pancreatitis probably due to the activation of antioxidative mechanisms in the pancreas and the improvement of pancreatic blood flow.