Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Activities of Combination of Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Zingiber officinale in CCl4-intoxicated Rats

Introduction: Liver is the most important organ of drugs and xenobiotics metabolism and any damage to the liver is associated with dysfunction of this organ. This study was carried out to find the possible additive effect of the co-administration of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) extracts on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage in rats. Methods: Forty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 7 groups (n=6). Group I: Normal control, Group II: Control of the extract (25 mg/kg of cinnamon extract and 125 mg/kg of ginger extract), Group III: CCl4 control, Group IV: 50 mg/kg of cinnamon extract; Group 5: 250 mg/kg of ginger extract; Group VI: As in group II, a combination of 25 mg/kg cinnamon extract and 125 mg/kg ginger extract, and group VII: 100 mg/kg of silymarin (as the standard drug). These treatments were performed daily for 14 days. On the fourteenth day, all groups received 1ml of CCl4 along with olive oil (1:1 v/v), except for the groups I and II. The last two groups received only olive oil. Results: Intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 into rats significantly increased the levels of liver enzymes, bilirubin, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased total antioxidant and total protein levels compared to the control group (P<0.001). Pre-treatment with a combination of cinnamon and ginger extracts significantly improved these factors. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that co-administration of cinnamon and ginger extracts is more efficient in protecting liver from the damaging effects caused by CCl4.