Study of the hepatoprotective activity concerning the terpene-based product on a model of alcohol-related liver disease

A.B. Vyshtakalyuk¹, A.A. Parfenov¹, F.I. Maganova², L.A. Latserus²

¹A.E. Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Subdivision of Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazan

²LLC "Initium-Pharm", Moscow

Aim: to study the possibility of using a terpene-based product as a hepatoprotector.

Patients and Methods: the experiment was conducted on 48 Wistar rats (male, average weight 323.5±6.5 g, age 2.5–3.0 months) divided into 8 groups of 6 animals. A model of ethanol-induced liver pathology was taken with long-term administration of 40% ethanol at a dose of 7 mL/kg for 4 weeks to study the hepatoprotective characteristics of the terpene-based dietary supplement, CardioOrganic^® Omega-3. Starting from the 3rd week of the ethanol administration initiation, the animals were injected with the test substances (CardioOrganic^® Omega-3, flaxseed oil in various concentrations, product based on milk thistle extract) per os, continuing to administer ethanol. Then, at the end of the ethanol administration, test substances were administered for another 3 days. At the end of administration of all substances, the animals were euthanized, and the liver and blood were taken for analysis. The general health condition was examined: dynamics of the animal body weight and biochemical parameters of the blood were evaluated, the mass coefficient and pathomorphological changes in the liver were determined.

Results: the terpene-containing product, CardioOrganic^® Omega-3, as the product based on the milk thistle extract, contributed to: normalization (increase) of the ALT and GGT levels, sharply reduced versus the normal value as a result of alcohol exposure due to impaired functional activity of hepatocytes; a shift towards the norm (increase) of the De Ritis ratio; a decrease in the level of LDH and alkaline phosphatase; normalization of the ratio concerning direct and indirect bilirubin (increase in direct bilirubin and decrease in indirect bilirubin); normalization (lowering) of the total protein level and albumin and globulins ratio (increase in the albumin concentration and decrease in the globulins concentration). Besides, there was an improvement in the structural and morphological organization of the liver under the effect of the studied substances. There was a decrease in the signs of hydropic and granular dystrophy, hepatocyte necrosis, and fibrotic changes.

Conclusion: terpene-based product, CardioOrganic^® Omega-3, exhibits hepatoprotective characteristics on the model of alcoholic liver disease in rats, which allows us to consider terpene-based compounds as promising hepatoprotectors.

Keywords: terpenoids, terpene-based drugs, hepatoprotector, alcohol-related liver disease, experiment.

For citation: Vyshtakalyuk A.B., Parfenov A.A., Maganova F.I., Latserus L.A. Study of the hepatoprotective activity concerning the terpene-based product on a model of alcohol-related liver disease. RMJ. 2021;4:4–9.