Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) almond oil attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatic injury in rats: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a potent hepatotoxin, capable of generating free radicals that lead to oxidative stress and the inflammation process. Pequi almond oil (PAO) has been reported to possess unsaturated fatty acid and antioxidant compounds related to beneficial effects on oxidation and inflammatory conditions. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of handmade and coldpressed PAO on CCl4-induced acute liver injury. The possible mechanisms underlying the effect on liver injury enzymes, histopathological parameters, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant and detoxification defense systems, as well as inflammatory parameters, were determined. Rats treated with PAO (3 or 6 mL/kg) for 21 days before CCl4 induction (3 mL/kg, 70%) showed significantly decreased levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, milder hepatic lesions and higher levels of serum high-density lipoprotein compared to CCl4 group. Moreover, PAO enhanced antioxidant capacity by increasing hepatic glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzyme activities, as well as reducing circulating concentrations of leptin and inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6, leukotrienes -4 and -5 and the tumor necrosis factor receptor. In summary, PAO, especially cold-pressed oil, attenuated the CCl4-induced alterations in serum and hepatic tissue in rats due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.