The hepatoprotective effect of breads with extracts of plants growing in the Far East

Breads with proven hepatoprotective properties can make a significant contribution to preventing liver disease. This work aimed to study hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of breads enriched with water and ethanol extracts of polyphenol-containing viburnum (Viburnum sargentii Koehne L.), magnolia-vine (Schisandra chinensis L.), and grapes (Vitis amurénsis L.). It was based on an experimental model of toxic hepatitis in mice intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride. Experimental groups of animals were fed on bread with extracts for 7 days and control groups had a bread-free diet. We analysed their body weight, liver lipid metabolism, “lipid peroxidation – antioxidant protection” system, and antiradical activity. The level of reduced glutathione and malonic dialdehyde was determined by micro-thin-layer chromatography. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase activity was measured to analyse the antioxidant system. The total content of common polyphenols in breads was determined by the colorimetric method with the Folin-Chocalteu reagent. The animals on a bread-free diet showed an impaired lipid metabolism and higher activity of liver enzymes. They had a 22% increase in liver weight and a 1.9 times depletion of antiradical protection (6.65 ± 0.15 Trolox units/mg protein vs. 13.15 ± 0.21 Trolox units/mg protein in the control; P < 0.001). We also registered a 2.5 times decrease in superoxide dismutase, a key enzyme of the antioxidant defence system. The animals fed on breads with the above extracts showed a statistically significant normalization of the parameters, compared to the bread-free group. We found that those breads had hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects on the animals, stabilizing their general condition and normalizing their biochemical parameters and antioxidant system.