Ajwa Date Fruit Extract Ameliorates the Effects of Alcohol on Weight of Liver in Male Albino Rats

Abstract

Background: Liver injuries induced by different toxic substances have been recognized as one of the great toxicological problem for years. However, there are a lot of herbal medicines existing to compensate these disorders.Alcohols are one of the most important organic compounds in different areas of our daily lives. The health benefits of Ajwa Date Fruit Extract are well documented in literature. Objective: To determine the effect of alcohol on weight of liver and possible protective role of Ajwa date fruit extract (ADFE) in adult male albino rats. Study Design:Experimental Study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore from 1st October 2018 to 31st March 2019. Methodology: Twenty four adult male albino rats were used in this research and divided into the 4 groups A, B, C and D having 6 rats in each group. Group A was designated as control group;group B received ethanol 3g/kg/day of 40% v/v prepared in distilled water; group C received ethanol and ADFE1g/kg/day and group D received ethanol and ADFE 2g/kg/day by oral gavage once daily for 28 days.The 100% pure alcohol was dissolved in distilled water for preparation of 40% alcohol. Dates palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits washed with tap water and removed the seeds. The extract of the date fruits made by adding distilled water to date fruit (3:1) and leaving for 48 hours in refrigerator (4°C). Results: The increase in mean weight of liver in group B on 29th day of experiment were statistically significant (p=0.001) in comparison with the control. The mean weight of liver was decreased significantly after 28 days of experiment in experimental groups C and D. Conclusions: Alcohol administration in the male albino rats significantly increase their weight of liver which was improved by the use of ADFE. Key words: Alcohol, Ajwa date fruit extract, Rats