Safranal ameliorates antioxidant enzymes and suppresses lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide formation in aged male rat liver.

Free radical production and oxidative stress are known to increase in liver during aging, and may contribute to oxidative damage. The objective of this study was to observe the changes in activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase), lipid peroxidation levels and serum nitric oxide occurring in livers of rats of 2, 10 and 20 months old, and to see whether these changes are restored to those of the two month old control levels rats after administration of safranal. The aged rats (10 and 20 months) were given intraperitoneal injections of safranal (0.5 mg/kg day) daily for one month. The results obtained in the present work revealed that normal aging was associated with a significant decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and an increase in lipid peroxidation in livers and nitric oxide content in serum of aging rats. The results of the present study demonstrate that safranal could be a candidate to suppress the development of age-induced damage by protecting against oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant defenses. A likely mode of action of safranal can be its activity as a hormetin by inducing mild oxidative damage which leads to the activation of antioxidative enzymes.