Pilot study: analysis of the rats' liver submitted to experimental chronic alcoholism and treated with Morinda citrifolia (noni)

Abstract

Chronic alcohol consumption causes sequential liver damage from cirrhosis to steatohepatitis and then liver disease in end stage. Hepatic repair becomes compromised by increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, mediated by the ingestion of ethanol. The aim of this study was to analyze the protective effects of Morinda citrifolia (noni) on the liver tissue of rats subjected to chronic alcoholism. Sixteen rats were used, divided into four random groups (n = 4). The control group (CG) received only water for 20 weeks. The alcoholism group (AG) received filtered water in the first week; the second, a mixture containing 10% of sugar cane liquor; in the third one, 20%; during the fourth and fifth weeks, 30%; and from the sixth week, a proportion of 40% of sugar cane liquor and 60% water. The detoxified group (DG) was subjected to the same process of AG, but it suffered gradual maladjustment to the alcohol from the week 14. The noni group (NG) was subjected to the same process of AG, however, from the week 14, it received noni juice as an experimental treatment. During the week 20, the animals were euthanized. NG presented histophatological findings of focal tumefaction of hepatocytes in only one rat different from AG that presented changes in four rats. In DG, three rats showed the same change and cytoplasmic (138.83 μm²) and nuclear (38.82 μm²) areas statistically lower. It has been shown the positive effect of using noni after submitting rats to chronic alcoholism.