Potential protective effect of escin from Aesculus hippocastanum extract against cyclophosphamide-induced oxidative stress on rat tissues.

Cyclophosphamide (CP)-also known as cytophosphan-is an alkylating agent that has many side effects in humans and rats. Rats were divided into 5 different groups to evaluate the protective effect of escin (ES) obtained from the horse-chestnut plant (Aesculus hippocastanum) against acute damage induce by CP. Groups: control group, ethanol group, ES group (100 mg/kg body weight (bw) ES for 14 days by gastric gavage), ES + CP group (100 mg/kg bw ES for 14 days by gastric gavage and 75 mg/kg bw CP i.p. on 14th day), and CP group (75 mg/kg bw CP i.p. on 14th day). After the experiment was completed, blood and tissue samples (liver, kidney, heart, brain, lung, and testis) were taken from the rats under anesthesia. When the CP group was compared with the control group, an increase was observed in the level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood and all tissues except the lung, but when it was given together with escin, there was a decrease except kidney and lung (P < 0.05). Glutathione (GSH) level decreased in the blood and all tissues when CP was given, whereas an increase was observed in the heart, brain, and lung when given with escin (P < 0.05). There was no statistical change in the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes in all tissues. ES reduced CP-induced damage in all tissues except the kidney. As a result, it was determined that ES had a protective effect against CP-induced tissue damage in rats due to its antioxidant properties.