ABSTRACT:
The present investigation was carried to investigate the effect of lycopene on basic biochemical parameters during D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (D-GalN/LPS) induced hepatitis in experimental rats. The efficacy of lycopene was validated during D-GalN/LPS induced hepatitis by analyzing hematological parameters including the levels of haemoglobin (Hb), red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), prothrombin time (PTT) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in control and experimental groups of rats. The total protein content of the liver and serum, and the levels of Albumin, Globulin and albumin/globulin ratio were also analyzed. The toxic insult of D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (D-GalN/LPS) in experimental group of animals reduces the normal values of all hematological parameters due to liver injury. The significant drop in the levels of total protein and Albumin/globulin ratio were also recorded. The pretreatment of lycopene restore the values to near normal level by protecting the liver. In the light of results it can be concluded that administration lycopene helps to maintain the normal values of biochemical parameters during experimental hepatitis in rats and restore the normal liver function through its protective effect due to its antioxidant defense mechanism.