Synergistic Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Combined Ginger and Garlic Extracts in Rats with Experimentally Induced Liver Injury

 Taiye S. Adelodun ¹, Tomi S. Fasinu¹, Paul Awoniran², Babatunde E. Arayombo³, Sunday O. Fabiyi¹, Sanmi T. Ogunsanya¹, Oluwaseyi E. Kolawole¹

1. Department of Anatomy, Ben Carson School of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria 
2. Department of Anatomy, Redeemers’ University Ede, Osun State, Nigeria 
3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria 

ABSTRACT 

Reactive oxidants are generated both endogenously during normal metabolic processes and exogenously following exposure to environmental toxicants. Bioactive plant compounds possess antioxidant properties capable of mitigating oxidative damage caused by these reactive species. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of
ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) against thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver toxicity in Wistar rats. Twenty-five adult, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (A–E), with five animals per group (n = 5). Group A served as the control and received normal saline for 28 days. Groups B–E were administered TAA intraperitoneally at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 14 consecutive days to induce hepatic injury. After induction, groups C, D, and E received oral treatments for an additional 14 days as follows: group C received ginger extract (100 mg/kg/day), group D received garlic extract (100 mg/kg/day), and group E received a combination of ginger and garlic extracts (50 mg/kg/day each). All treatments were administered via oral gavage. At the end of the treatment period, blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical assays, histological examination, and immunohistochemical analysis of Nrf2 expression. Exposure to TAA caused a nonsignificant elevation in liver enzyme activities and a reduction in antioxidant markers, particularly superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Although the extracts did not significantly reverse these biochemical changes, they improved hepatic histoarchitecture by reducing cellular pyknosis, endothelial disruption of the central venule, and sinusoidal dilation. Moreover, glycogen deposition and Nrf2 expression increased markedly in extract-treated groups, while collagen accumulation and mitotic figures were reduced compared with the TAA-only group. In conclusion, ethanolic extracts of ginger and garlic mitigated TAA-induced hepatic injury, likely through enhancement of antioxidant defenses and modulation of oxidative stress–related molecular pathways. 

KEYWORDS: Botanicals, Phytochemicals, Redox homeostasis, Hepatoprotection mechanism, Toxicology