Amaranthus spinosus (Spiny Pigweed) methanol leaf extract alleviates oxidative and inflammation induced by doxorubicin in male sprague dawley rats

This study evaluated the ameliorative effect of Amaranthus spinosus leaf methanol extract (ASLME) against doxorubicin-induced multi-organ damage in Sprague Dawley Rats. Forty-nine (49) male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly stratified into 7 groups with 7 rats per group. Groups A and B received distilled water for 7 days. Groups C, D, and E were pretreated for 7 days with 200 mg/kg silymarin, 500 and 1000 mg/kg ASLME, respectively followed by intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg doxorubicin (DOX) to groups B, C, D, and E on the 8th day. Groups F and G were orally administered 500 and 1000 mg/kg ASLME respectively for 7 days with an intraperitoneal injection of distilled water on the 8th day. After 48 h of DOX administration, blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture, and organs were excised for biochemical and histopathological assays. Pretreatment with ASLME decreased the levels of tissues malondialdehyde and nitric oxide as well as serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) with a concomitant (p < 0.05) increase in the levels of serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tissues reduced glutathione in a dose-dependent manner compared to group B. The activities of antioxidant enzymes increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the ASLME pretreated groups as well as groups F and G when compared to group B. Administration of doxorubicin induced degenerative hepatic, nephrotic and cardiac biomarkers and histological changes in Group B, while remarkable reversal of these pathological features was observed in groups pretreated with ASLME. Our findings suggest the chemo-protective effect of ASLME against doxorubicin-induced multi-organ damage, by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation in rats.