Protective Role of Pomegranate Peel (Punica granatum L) against Thioacetamide-Induced cirrhosis in a Rat Model

This study was designed to determine the effects of pomegranate peel on various antioxidiants measurements in liver cirrhosis of rats induced by thioacetamide.Fifty-seven male rats aged 13–15 weeks were randomly divided into 15 categories containing 5 rats per category, and were treated with either TAA, PP, or PP plus TAA or Selenium plus TAA or administered with 0.9% physiological saline solution as a control. The hepatoprotective effect of herbs was evaluated by measuring levels of antioxidiant marker enzymes such as Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and measurement Malondialdehyde (MDA). The histological studies were also carried out to support the above parameters by using special stain Haemotoxlin & eosin and using immunofluorescent staining to examine the distribution of DDR2 in the liver. The study found that the supplementation of pomegranate peel significantly (p< 0.05) reduced the damaging effects on the liver by TAA. GSH, SOD increased in the treatment group, but serum MDA level was declined due to the hepatic injury induced. A comparative histopathological research of the liver between different groups demonstrated that pomegranate peel, drive to normal liver architecture suggesting they may use as a hepatoprotective alternative medicatio