الفهرس 
. Non alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD)Only 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The current study was undertaken to determine the safe doses of the Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill.-defatted, Camellia sinensis and Vitis vinifera extracts. Also, this is study aimed to elicited the possible therapeutic potential of the selected medicinal plant extract in recession of steatosis and steatohepatitis in the experimental model. This aim was achieved by performing acute and chronic toxiciological studies as well as biochemical, molecular genetics and histopathological studies (pharmacological study) on the selected medicinal plant extracts. The preclinical toxicological study for the selected medicinal plant extracts (Part I) was conducted on one hundred and sixty eight adult Wistar rats (eighty four male and eighty four female). On the other hand, the pharmacological study (Part II) was conducted on two hundred adult female Wistar rats that were classified into twenty groups: (groups1 and 11), were kept on standard rodent chow and served as healthy control groups; (2), The other groups received high fat diet (HFD) for 24 weeks for NAFLD induction and 32 weeks for NASH induction. Then these groups were assigned as NAFLD group (G2), Foeniculum vulgare (FCH) extract-treated groups (G3 and G4), Foeniculum vulgare-defatted (FCH-defatted)-treated groups (G5 and G6), Camellia sinensis (GT) extract-treated groups (G7 and G8), Vitis vinifera (GS) extract-treated groups (G9 and G10), NASH group (G12), Foeniculum vulgare (FCH) extract-treated groups (G13 and G14), Foeniculum vulgare-defatted (FCH-defatted)-treated groups (G15 and G16), Camellia sinensis (GT) extract-treated groups (G17 and G18) and Vitis vinifera (GS) extract-treated groups (G19 and G20). Significant increase in serum ALT activity, bilirubin (Total and direct), cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides as well as plasma glucose, insulin, resistin and leptin levels as well as insulin resistance value has been recorded in the NAFLD and NASH groups. Also, serum TNF-α, NF-κB, Cox-2, CD40 and HGF levels were increased significantly, while serum albumin, blood platelet count, HDL and adeponectin levels were decreased significantly in the NAFLD and NASH groups versus the healthy control group. Moreover, significant upregulation in hepatic TNF-α and HGF gene expression levels accompanied with significant downregulation in hepatic adiponectin gene expression level was detected. However, treatment of rats with the selected extracts elicited great improvement in the measured biochemical parameters and gene expression levels. Optical micrographs of cross-sectioned liver tissue at low magnification confirmed the biochemical and molecular genetics results. The present study indicated that the studied medicinal plant extracts have a different degree of potentiality in alleviating NAFLD and NASH. In conclusion, this study provided evidence for the promising therapeutic potential of the studied medicinal plant extracts against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. This could be ascribed to their hepatoprotective activity, hypolipidemic effect and anti-inflammatory property in addition to its potent role in ameliorating insulin resistance indices. Thus, our findings reinforce current advice recommending the consumption of natural products to modulate liver diseases.