Antioxidant action of Citrus bergamia by-product on the liver of rats subjected to an acute dose of doxorubicin

• Grant number: 23/12206-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Camila Renata Corrêa
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Fabrício Agostino
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cancer is a disease of altered signaling and metabolism derived from abnormal and accelerated cell growth, which can begin in any organ or tissue. Doxorubicin (DOX) isa chemotherapy drug from the anthracycline group widely used to treat neoplasms. Although it is effective, it is not selective and its toxic and side effects are clinically apparent, such as nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity, alopecia, and diarrhea, as wellas promoting an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), affecting various organs such as the liver. Given this, the search for compounds withantioxidant action to combat ROS and their damage is becoming increasingly evident. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can attenuate oxidative stress and improve liver oxidative damage. This projectaims to verify the antioxidant effect of the Citrus bergamia by-product, commercially known as Endoberg®, on the liver of rats subjected to an acute dose of DOX. Male Wistar rats (n=32) weighing approximately 300g, with no statistical difference in bodyweight, will be initially randomized into two groups: Control (C, n=16), which will receive drinking water daily, and the Endoberg® group (CE, n=16), which will receive the citrus fruit daily at a concentration of 250mg/Kg. Both the drinking water and the citrus fruit will be administered by gavage. Seven days after the treatments, the animals will be redistributed into four groups: Control (C, n=8), intraperitoneal injection with PBS and the DOX group (D, n=8) intraperitoneal injection of 4mg/Kg of DOX; CE (n=8) intraperitoneal injection (IP) with PBS and CE + DOX (n=8), intraperitoneal injection of 4mg/Kg of DOX. The animals will be euthanized 48 hours after this procedure by decapitation for liver collection. The following parameters will be assessed: total protein content, hydrophilic antioxidant capacity, oxidative damage to lipids, carbonylation and protein oxidation. Parametric data will be presented asmean ± standard deviation and comparisons between groups will be made by two-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test. Non-parametric data will be presentedas median and interquartile range (p25 and p75) and comparisons between groups will be made using the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post-hoc test.