Effect of Ginger and Turmeric Extracts Enhanced Formula on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Induced by Oxy-Tetracycline in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant health burden globally, with increasing prevalence rates paralleling the rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome. Turmeric and ginger are natural substances with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other medicinal properties. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of ginger and turmeric ethanolic extracts individually and after enhancement of bioavailability through the addition of phospholipids and piperine on oxytetracycline-induced fatty liver. The effect of these extracts was compared to the effect of fenofibrate (hypolipidemic medication). The experiment was conducted using thirty-five Wistar rats, divided into seven groups (five rats per group). Group 1: (the Negative control group) was fed on the basal diet only and the other six groups were fed on basal diet and intraperitoneal oxytetracycline injection (120 mg/kg/body weight daily) for three consecutive days to induce non-alcoholic fatty liver induction. followed by different treatments. Group 2: (The positive control group) was fed basal diet + intraperitoneal oxytetracycline injection (120 mg/kg/body weight daily) for three consecutive days only. Group 3: was treated with (100 mg/kg) of Fenofibrate. Groups 4 and 5: were treated with (500 mg/kg) of ginger and turmeric ethanolic extracts, individually. Groups 6 and 7: were treated with the mixture consisting of (500 mg/100 mg/3 mg) of ginger and turmeric ethanolic extracts individually, phospholipids, and piperine. The extracts for all treated groups will be administered orally through a gastric tube day after day for 30 days. Serum liver function, serum and hepatic lipid profile, and histological changes were assessed. The results indicated that all groups treated with ginger and turmeric enhanced formulation through piperine and phospholipids showed a significant decrease in liver enzyme activities, bilirubin total, direct and indirect, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL. At the same time, HDL-cholesterol has significantly increased especially in the turmeric-enhanced formula. Results suggest that the enhanced bioavailability formulations of turmeric and ginger exhibit promising therapeutic potential comparable to fenofibrate in mitigating NAFLD.