Protective potential of Royal Jelly against carbon tetrachloride induced-toxicity and changes in the serum sialic acid levels

Royal Jelly (RJ) is used in the Turkish folk medicine for the treatment of number of disorders. The present study describes the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of the RJ against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver damage. Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the experiment. CCl4 (0.8 ml/kg; s.c.) and RJ (50, 100, 200 mg/kg: orally) were given every other day, for 20 days. Malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione in whole blood and tissues: ceruloplasmin, sialic acid, ascorbic acid, retinol, beta-carotene and liver enzymes levels in serum were measured. Additionally, histopathological alterations in the liver were examined. RJ exerted the significant protective effect on liver damage as well as on oxidative stress induced by CCl4, resulting in reduced lipid peroxidation and improved endogenous antioxidant defence systems. It also reduced the elevated levels of liver enzymes. Histopathological study further confirmed the hepatoprotective effect of RJ, when compared with the CCl4 treated control groups. In conclusion, present study reveals biological evidence that supports the use of RJ in the treatment of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.