Citrus bergamia Risso & Poiteau juice protects against renal injury of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

Phytother Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):514-9. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2971.

Abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of treatment with Citrus bergamia juice (1 mL/day, for 30 days) against hypercholesterolemic diet-induced renal injury in rat.C. bergamia juice provoked a significant reduction in the plasma levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL, and an increase in HDL levels, versus hyperlipidemic controls (p < 0.05). Plasma creatinine levels, measured to assess renal glomerular function, did not change compared with hyperlipidemic controls (0.37 +/- 0.11 mg/dL and 0.32 +/- 0.10 mg/dL, respectively). Moreover, in vivo lipid peroxidation was measured in kidney homogenate; C. bergamia juice administration significantly decreased MDA levels elevations compared with hyperlipidemic controls (4.10 +/- 0.10 nmol/mg protein and 4.78 +/- 0.15 nmol/mg protein, respectively).Histological observations of the kidney supported the biochemical data and indicated a protective effect of C. bergamia juice on the development of renal damage in hypercholesterolemic rats.The antioxidant potential of C. bergamia juice was examined in two in vitro systems: in the DPPH test the juice showed a noticeable effect on scavenging free radicals (IC(50) = 25.01 +/- 0.70 +/-L); in the reducing power assay it showed a strong activity, too (1.44 +/- 0.01 ASE/mL).These findings suggest that C. bergamia juice has a protective role in hypercholesterolemic diet-induced renal damage, which may be attributed to its antioxidant properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Citrus* / chemistry
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Free Radical Scavengers / analysis
  • Hypercholesterolemia / blood
  • Hypercholesterolemia / complications
  • Hypercholesterolemia / drug therapy*
  • Hypercholesterolemia / pathology
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney Diseases / blood
  • Kidney Diseases / etiology
  • Kidney Diseases / pathology
  • Kidney Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Male
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Picrates
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Free Radical Scavengers
  • Picrates
  • Plant Extracts
  • Triglycerides
  • Cholesterol
  • Creatinine
  • 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl