Flavonoid-rich fraction attenuates permethrin-induced toxicity by modulating ROS-mediated hepatic oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction ex vivo and in vivo in rat

The present study explores the antioxidant, anti-microbial, and hepatoprotective potentials of flavonoid-rich fractions from Fumaria officinalis against permethrin-induced liver damage ex vivo/in vivo in rat. However, HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the richness of 6 components in ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) where ferulic acid, rosmarinic acid, and myricetin are the most abundant. The in vitro assays showed that EAFs have impressive antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. Ex vivo, permethrin (PER) (100 μM) induced a decrease of hepatic AST and ALT activities and 25-OH vitamin D and vitamin C levels and an increase of ALP and LDH activities, TBARS, and ϒ-GT levels with a disturbance of oxidative status. The hepatoprotective effect of EAF (1 mg/mL) against PER was confirmed by the amelioration of oxidative stress profile. In vivo, permethrin was found to increase absolute and relative liver weights, plasma transaminase activities, lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, hepatic and mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation levels. This pesticide triggered a decrease of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ -ATPases and mitochondrial enzyme activities. The co-treatment with EAF reestablished the hepatic and mitochondrial function, which could be attributed to its richness in phenolic compounds.