Abstract

Apple polyphenols are considered as natural antioxidants. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the cytoprotective effects of apple polyphenols against rat primary hepatocytes oxidative injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in vitro. Some biochemical assays were carried out to determine the cytoprotective effects of apple polyphenols on the hepatocytes subjected to oxidative injury, including cell viability, the content of malondialdehyde in culture medium, as well as alanine aminotransamine, aspartate aminotransaminase and lactate dehydrogenase leakage into culture medium. Statistical results showed that treatment of the cultured hepatocytes with apple polyphenols at concentrations of 10 mg/l at the same time of oxidative injury of the cells could provide cytoprotective effect to the cells to improve cell viability, significantly reduce alanine aminotransamine, aspartate aminotransaminase and lactate dehydrogenase leakage into culture medium and decrease the formation of malondialdehyde compared to control group, while treatment of the cultured cells after oxidative injury could help injured cells self-repairing. It was shown that apple polyphenols displayed stronger cytoprotective and repairing effect against oxidative injury of the rat primary hepatocytes.

Key words: Apple polyphenols, oxidative injury, carbon tetrachloride, primary hepatocytes.