Protective role of pongamia pinnata leaf extract on tissue antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemic rats.

The present investigation was designed to study the protective role of Pongamia pinnata (an indigenous plant used in Ayurvedic medicine in India) leaf extract on oxidative stress during ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemia by measuring the extent of oxidative damage as well as antioxidant status. Ethanolic extract of Pongamia pinnata (PPEt) leaves was administered orally (300 mg/kg body weight) and the effects of PPEt on the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), hydroperoxides (HP), conjugated diene (CD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were studied in liver and kidney of ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemic rats. On treatment with PPEt, a significant reduction in the levels of TBARS, HP, and CD and a significant increase in the levels of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH in liver and kidney of ammonium chloride-induced hyperammonemic rats were observed, which clearly shows the antioxidant property of PPEt. The study of induction of the antioxidant status is considered to be a reliable marker for evaluating the antiperoxidative effect of the medicinal plant. Our present findings show the protective role of PPEt against lipid peroxidation and suggest that PPEt possesses antioxidant potential that may be used for therapeutic purposes. The exact mechanism has to be still investigated and the isolation of active constituents is required.