Effect of Aqueous Extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra on the Biochemical Changes Induced by Cadmium Chloride in Rats.

Twenty four rats were divided into four groups (6 rats/group): 1-control group; 2-licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract: rats administered with an oral dose of licorice (3 mg/ml/kg/day) using stomach tube for 4 weeks; 3-cadmium chloride group: rats administered with an oral dose of CdCl2 (10 mg/kg/day) using stomach tube for 4 weeks; and 4-licorice extract + CdCl2 group: rats administered orally with both licorice (3 mg/ml/kg/day) and CdCl2 (10 mg/kg/day) using stomach tube for 4 weeks. Administration of CdCl2 induced significant increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), paraoxonase-1 (proxon-1), caspase-3 (casp-3) activities, and significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, and glutathione (GSH) content in hepatic tissue. Significant increase in TBARS and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and significant decrease in SOD, CAT activities, and GSH content in renal tissue were recorded. Significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities, urea, creatinine, and significant decrease in butyryl choline esterase (BChE), total triiodothyronine (T3), and total thyroxin (T4) were recorded in serum. Histological investigation of renal cells showed vacuolations of endothelium lining glomerular tuffs and vacuolations of epithelium lining renal tubules. Investigation of ovarian tissue showed dilatation of interstitial blood vessels and congestion of multiple corpus luteum in CdCl2-treated rats. Significant improvements in the biochemical and histological changes were observed in CdCl2 + licorice extract group. It could be concluded that licorice extract alleviates the hazardous effects of cadmium chloride, which may be attributed to its antioxidant properties.