en Protective and therapeutic effects of Curcuma longa powder on the CCL4 inducedhepatic damage Experimental research article Experimental research article <b><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT" size="2"><p align="left">M Alizadeh, M Fereidoni, N Mahdavi and A Moghimi</p></font><i><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-BoldItalicMT" size="2"><p align="left">Department of Biology, Ferdowsi Univ., Mashhad, Iran.</p><p align="left">fereidoni@yahoo.com</p></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT" size="3"><p align="left">Abstract:</p></font><i><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT" size="3"><p align="left">Curcuma longa </p><p align="left">to treat some diseases such as skin inflammation and trauma, bile disorders, diabetes and cancer, especially</p><p align="left">through Asia and India. Antioxidant properties and therapeutic effects of turmeric have been reported in</p><p align="left">several literatures. Curcumin as theTurmeric effective substance is used frequently in the investigations but</p><p align="left">since people are usually using the turmeric powder, this study was performed by administration of its powder. <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT" size="3"></font><i><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT" size="3">Curcuma longa </font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT" size="3">powder was applied to the animals, and it was followed by post treatment of the powder after</font><i><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT" size="3">Curcuma longa </font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT" size="3">powder on the hepatocyte</font><b><font face="TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT" size="3"><p align="left">Keywords: </p></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT" size="3">Turmeric, Aspartate Amino Transferase, Alanine Amino Transferase, Hepatocyte.</font></b></i></i></p><p align="left">Wistar male rats were used as experimental animals (n=6) in this study. Plasma Aspartate Amino Transferase</p><p align="left">(AST) and Alanine Amino Transferase (ALT) levels were measured before and 24 h, one week and two weeks</p><p align="left">after i.p. injection of CCL4 (0.005 cc/kg), dissolved in liquid paraffin (0.5 cc/kg). In sham control group, animals</p><p align="left">were treated only by the vehicle. To investigate the therapeutic effects of the turmeric, in post treatment group,</p><p align="left">animals were orally treated with turmeric rhizome powder (4 g/kg/day) after CCL4 injection. To investigate both</p><p align="left">the protective and therapeutic effects of the turmeric in pre and post-treatment group, 15 days oral pretreatment</p><p align="left">of </p><p align="left">CCL4 injection for several days. To investigate the protective effects of the turmeric in pre-treatment group,</p><p align="left">treatment was as same as the previous group, except the post treatment.</p><p align="left">In comparison to sham control, AST and ALT levels in the control group significantly increased 24 hrs after CCL4</p><p align="left">treatment and remained high until the last measurement (p<0.001), but there were no significant differences between</p><p align="left">sham control and other three groups. In the histophysiological study, vacuolar state, hepatocyte lipofication and necrosis</p><p align="left">were chosen as hepatocytotoxicity criterions, in comparison to sham control group, hepatocytotoxicity was obvious, but</p><p align="left">there were no hepatocytotoxicity in the pre- and pre+post-treated groups, 24 and 48 h after CCL4 injection.</p><p align="left">The results showed possible therapeutic and protective effects of </p><p align="left">damage induced by CCl4.</p></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT" size="3">(turmeric) powder is used abundantly as spice. Turmeric has also been traditionally applied</font></i></i></b> 143 150 http://ppj.phypha.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-18&slc_lang=en&sid=1