Evaluating the effect of aqueous extract of the roots of native edible asparagus in Iran (<i>Asparagus officinalis</i> L) on the concentration of liver factors in male rats treated with cadmium chloride

Abstract

Introduction: Cadmium is of the environmental pollutants and is considered as a part of the list of 126 top elements of environmental pollutants which has a long half-life in the body and is estimated at about 10 to 30 years. The use of herbal medicines because of having many antioxidants and lack of side effects is  increasing in the today world to be a good alternative for chemical drugs. So the objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of the root of native edible asparagus in Iran (Asparagus officinalis L.) on the concentration of
liver enzymes in male rats exposed to cadmium chloride.
Method: 72 male rats were accidentally divided into the control, sham and test groups (100 mg/kg asparagus extract, 200 mg/kg asparagus extract, 400 mg/kg asparagus extract, 5 mg/kg cadmium chloride, cadmium chloride and 100 mg/kg asparagus extract, cadmium chloride and 200 mg/kg asparagus extract, cadmium  chloride and 400 mg/kg asparagus extract). All injections were performed by gavage for 28 consecutive days. One-Way ANOVA and Duncan at the significance level of 5% were used for statistical analysis.
Results: Cadmium chloride increased the averages of serum ALT, AST, ALP and bilirubin significantly and decreased the averages of serum albumin and total protein significantly. Two doses of 200 and 400 of asparagus extract reduced the averages of serum ALT, AST and ALP significantly compared to the group which received cadmium chloride and each three doses of asparagus extract could reduce bilirubin concentration significantly compared to the group which received cadmium chloride. Two doses of 200 and 400 asparagus extract increased the averages of serum albumin and total protein significantly compared to the receivers of cadmium chloride. 400 mg/kg asparagus extract had the greatest effect on improving and adjusting the studied liver parameters.
Conclusion: The extract of asparagus root has probably improved the destructive effects of cadmium chloride due to abundant antioxidant property. Of course, 400 mg dose has had the most effect in this study.

keywords: Cadmium chloride; roots of native edible.