Author : Swaroopa Maralla and K. Sathyavelu Reddy

The effects of chronic ethanol exposure and acute ethanol withdrawal on the blood antioxidant defense system, lipid peroxide concentration and hematological parameters, as well as the possible protective role of ginger extract administration were studied. Male wistar albino rats (3 months old) were treated with 20% ethanol (2g/kg b.w. o.p.) for 42 days; the withdrawal group is also treated the same way but stopped from ethanol administration for 72 hrs after the last dose; parallel groups are maintained that received ginger extract (200mg/kg b.w., o.p.) for both the cases mentioned above. The hematological parameters were assessed: red blood cell counts, hematocrit value and hemoglobin concentration were significantly decreased in the blood of EtoH – treated rats, whereas mean corpuscular volume (MCV) significantly increased in withdrawal rats. We also observed increased activity of antioxidant defense enzymes: copper zinc containing superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase as well as concentrations of non-enzymatic components of antioxidant defense system: reduced glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E in rats pre- treated with ginger extract. It is concluded that ginger exhibited a protective role against the pro-oxidant effects of ethanol and ethanol withdrawal on the hematological values as well as on enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of blood antioxidant defense system.

Keywords: Blood, Enzymatic and Non Enzymatic Antioxidants, Ethanol, Ethanol Withdrawal, Ginger