Ameliorating effects of Garcinia mangostana Linn pericarp extract on hepatic antioxidants in Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

Background: The extract of Garcinia mangostana Linn., (GM) has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-tumoral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activities and is widely used as a therapeutic drug in South-East Asia. Methods: The methanolic extract of GM fed orally to a set of Wistar rats in which hepatic carcinoma is induced with the help of N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) forms the heart of this study. Four groups of 6 rats each is used for the study. Group I: Normal rat received distilled water; Group II: Rats induced with DEN; Group III: Rats induced with DEN and cotreated with GM extract; Group IV: Rats treated with GM extract alone. Clinical chemistry, organ weights, nodular incidence, enzymatic and antioxidant analysis were carried out. Results: It is observed that the rats fed only with DEN developed tumor in the liver cells and those fed with the drug showed increased resistance to the spread and development of hepatic carcinoma. The non enzymatic antioxidant such as GSH and antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and SOD were decreased significantly with simultaneous LPO increase in group 2 rats, compared to that of control group. The carcinoma treated with GM extract showed significant increase in the levels of antioxidants viz. GSH, catalase, SOD and decrease in LPO when compared with that of group 2 rats. Conclusion: The results of this study concludes that the pericarp extract of GM exhibits profound anti-oxidant abilities which reduces the levels of lipid peroxides and increases the levels of glutathione, SOD and CAT to near normal performance of the liver. Further analysis of the antioxidant enzymatic study showed that the drug had positive effects in inhibiting hepatic cancer.