Ameliorative Effect Of Pomegranate Peel Water Extract Aganist Folic Acid-Induced Nephrotoxicity In Rats.

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that free radicals are important mediators of renal damage induced by high dose folic acid injection. Pomegranate peel was reported as a potent antioxidant. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of pomegranate peel water extract in folic acid induced renal failure. For this purpose, thirty adult male albino rats were assigned into 5 groups. group1: normal control group, group 2: experimentally induced renal failure injected with folic acid (250mg/Kg body weight), group 3, 4 and 5 experimentally induced renal failure injected with folic acid followed by oral administration of pomengrate peel water extract( 0.5 ml,1ml and 1.5 ml /day, respectively). The results of this study demonstrated that injection with folic acid (250mg/Kg body weight) impaired renal function judged by a significant increase in serum urea, creatinine, and uric compared with normal control (p<0.05). Oral administration of pomengrate peel water extractsignificantly attenuated nephrotoxicity induced by folic acid resulting in a significant decrease in serum urea, creatinine and uric acid (p<0.05). The results also showed a significant increase in folic acid injection induced oxidative stress reflected in a significant increase in serum Malondialdehyde ( MDA) levels. Also, renal MDA significantly increased with asignificant decrease in renal catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities (p<0.05). Oral administration of pomegranate peel water extract restored normal levels of malondialdehyde and retained control activities of renal antioxidant enzymes. Qualitative phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of natural antioxidants as flavonoid,tannin,saponin and sterols.Therefore,pomegranate peel extract have a more potential as health supplement and nephroprotective agent rich in natural antioxidant.