Therapeutic Efficacy of Green Tea Polyphenols on 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide Induced Hepatotoxicity

Objective: 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO), a potent experimental oral carcinogen produces intracellular oxidative stress, which leads to lipid peroxidation following hepatotoxicity. Green tea contains high content of polyphenols, which are potent antioxidants. Thus, green tea can play a protective role in liver damage and hepatotoxicity. In the present investigation it was decided to study the efficacy of Green tea polyphenols(GTP) against 4-NQO induced hepatotoxicity. Materials and methods: Hence, the activity of hepatic markers such as Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alanine Transaminase (ALT) Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) in the liver homogenate were assessed and the liver histology were studied. Results: Histology showed cohesive focal necrosis of hepatocytes. A significant increase was observed in all the markers of hepatic function. On administration of GTP for 30 days, a marked decrease in the activity of markers was observed and a lesser degree of necrosis was found in the histology. Conclusion: We conclude that the changes in the activity of markers and histology could be attributed to the therapeutic efficacy of GTP.