Is Ginger Attenuates the Severity of Liver Fibrosis ?

Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) has been cultivated for thousands of years both as a spice and for medicinal purposes. In herbal medicine, it is used as a circulatory stimulant, a cold and flu treatment and for digestive disorders. In the present study, ginger rhizomes successive extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol) were phytochemical screened and examined against liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats. The evaluation was done through measuring antioxidant parameters; glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD)and malondialdehyde (MDA). The work was extended to measure liver marker enzymes; succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose-6- phosphatase, acid phosphatase and 5`- nucleotidase. Liver function enzymes; aspartate and alanine aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase were estimated. Liver histopathological analysis and collagen content were also evaluated. Treatment with different extracts improved all parameters by variable degrees. In conclusion, ethanol extract showed the most potent effect.Further studies are needed for its clinical application.