Protective and therapeutic effects of okra seed in acute nontraumatic brain injury

Abstract

Aim

The purpose of this study was to examine the protective and therapeutic effects of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus [AE]) seed extract, with its known antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties, in an acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl- para-aminophenol)-induced model of hepatotoxicity and subsequent acute non-traumatic brain damage.

Material and Method

Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five equal groups, control, paracetamol (P), okra seed extract (AE), okra seed extract + paracetamol (P + AE), and okra seed extract + paracetamol + N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (P + AE + N). AE was administered by oral gavage through a gastric tube at 600 mg/kg/day for seven days. On the eighth day of the procedure, a single 1 g/kg dose of paracetamol and 300 mg/kg NAC were injected via the intraperitoneal route 1.5 h after AE administration. Rat tissue specimens were subsequently subjected to biochemical and histopathological analyses. Levels of markers such as S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and matrix membrane metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were investigated from rat serum specimens. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also measured to determine oxidant-antioxidant status.

Results

S100B, NSE, MMP-9, MDA levels, and SOD enzyme activities were examined using biochemical methods. MDA levels were significantly lower in the P + AE group and MMP-9 levels in the AE, P + AE, and P + AE + N groups compared to the P group. Histopathological examination results supported the biochemical findings

Conclusion

Okra seed extract exhibits a protective and therapeutic effect against non-traumatic brain damage resulting from acute paracetamol intoxication. We think that this benefit of AE derives from its antioxidant property.

Keywords:

• Abelmoschus esculentus
• acute non-traumatic brain damage
• paracetamol
• antioxidant

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study protocol was approved by the Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Animal Experiments Ethical Committee, Türkiye (decision no. 2020/19/A2).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available from the corresponding author by request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.