Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and progression of gamma-irradiation induced cellular damage and the administration of dietary
antioxidants has been suggested to protect against the subsequent tissue damage. Here, we present the data to explore the hepatoprotective and
antioxidant effect of
hesperidin, a naturally occurring citrus flavanoglycone, against gamma-irradiation induced oxidative damage in the liver of rats. Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to gamma-irradiation (1 Gy, 3 Gy and 5 Gy) and were administered
hesperidin (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, b.w, orally) for 7 days post irradiation. The changes in
body weight, liver weight, spleen index, serum and liver
aspartate transaminase (AST),
alanine transaminase (ALT),
alkaline phosphatase (ALP),
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),
gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and serum
ceruloplasmin levels were determined along with differences in the liver histopathology. Liver thiobarbuturic
acid reactive substance as an index for lipid peroxidation and the levels of enzymatic
antioxidants like
superoxide dismutase,
catalase,
glutathione peroxidase and the status of non-enzymatic
antioxidants as an index for oxidative stress were also determined. Exposure to gamma-irradiation resulted in hepatocellular damage in a dose-dependent manner, featuring a significantly decreased
body weight and liver weight and higher levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP, LDH and gamma-GT levels and a simultaneous decrease in their levels in the liver tissue. Oxidative stress was evidenced by elevated levels of lipid peroxidation and a decrease in the levels of key enzymatic and non-enzymatic
antioxidants in the liver. However, the gamma-irradiation induced toxic effects were dramatically and dose-dependently inhibited by
hesperidin treatment as observed by the restoration in the altered levels of the marker
enzymes, lipid peroxidation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic
antioxidants. The results of the biochemical observations were supported by the histopathological findings. Thus,
oral administration of
hesperidin was found to offer protection against gamma-irradiation induced hepatocellular damage and oxidative stress in rats, probably by exerting a protective effect against hepatocellular
necrosis via its
free radical scavenging and membrane stabilizing ability.