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Coumarins are a vast group of natural compounds and some of them possess antioxidant activities. The comparison of the antioxidant activity of some coumarins with various chemical molecular structure has not been investigated in previous studies. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) -induced hepatic injury by coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) and coumarin derivatives, esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin), scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin), and 4-methylumbelliferone (7-hyroxy-4-methyl) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) were evaluated for oxidative stress in hepatic injury. Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were detected in plasma as a biomarker of hepatic injury. Significantly elevated levels of MDA and lowered levels of SOD and CAT activities were observed in liver of rats exposed to CCl(4), when compared to control values. Similarly, administration of CCl(4) increased LDH and GGT levels in serum. Pre-treatment of rats with esculetin (35 mg kg(-1), orally) and scoparone (35 mg kg(-1), orally) significantly prevented CCl(4)-induced decrease in MDA levels and increase in SOD and CAT, whereas 4-methylumbelliferone (35 mg kg(-1)) and coumarin (30 mg kg(-1)) had no effect against CCl(4)-induced rise in serum enzymes. Esculetin and scoparone also showed protective properties as was evidenced in reduced LDH and GGT levels in serum. The results of this study indicate that the chemical structures of coumarins play an important role in the prevention of oxidative stress.

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