Evaluation of Antioxidant Properties of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and Its Protective Effect on 6-Hydroxydopamine Induced Hepatic Damage in Parkinsonian Male Rats

Parkinson is the most common degenerative disorder of central nervous system. Liver plays an important role in the metabolism of chemical drugs; synthesis of plasma proteins, and extensive use of levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson disease. This study aimed to find the effect of levodopa and hydroalcoholic extract of purslane on the concentration of liver enzymes.
In this experimental study, 36 mature male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of control, sham, parkinsonian, 2 groups of parkinsonian under treatment with purslane extract at the doses of 200 and 400mg/kg (14 days before and after surgery), and parkinsonian group treated with 15mg/kg of levodopa. The primary model of Parkinson's disease was created with the injection of 250 μg of 6-OHDA into the right ventricle. At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were taken from all subjects and liver enzymes, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were assessed in serum and catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) enzymes, were assessed in liver tissue homogenate. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's tests. Statistical significance level was considered to be p In this study, the levels of ALT, ALP, and AST enzymes increased in the Parkinsonian group, while their level decreased in the groups received the extract and the levodopa groups. Also the extract of purslane significantly increased CAT activity and significantly decreased MDA as compared to the parkinsonian group.
It seems that purslane due to high level of antioxidant compounds can be used as a natural product for the prevention of damages and diseases caused by oxidative stress.