The effect of Argania spinosa on plasma Homocysteine, Lipids, Antioxidant enzymes and Aortas Sections in Methionine induced Hyperhomocysteinemia in mice.

Abstract

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant capacities lead to several clinical manifestations and particularly, cardiovascular and liver diseases. In this study, we evaluated the protective and the preventive effect of the crude extract of Argania spinosa against HHcy ,hyperlipidemia, oxidant status and damages in the aorta, heart and liver induced by high L-methionine intake in mice. After 3 weeks of treatments, Hcy concentrations, lipid parameters, liver enzyme activities, hepatic antioxidant status and histological sections of aorta, liver and heart were determined. Our results showed that consumption of high L-methionine diet (500mg/Kg) led to an increase in plasma Hcy, CHO, LDL-c, TG, AST, corresponding with decrease of HDL-c, reduced GSH, and catalase activity. These were associated with the loss and degeneration of endothelium, fenestration and formation of foam cells in the media of the aorta, also the alteration of the cardiac muscle and liver tissue. However, the administration of the crude extract of A. spinosa (150mg/Kg) in combination with L-methionine ameliorated all these changes. Moreover, in the present thesis, we conducted a study in vitro to evaluate the antibacterial effect of Argan oil on biofilm formation. The results showed that there was a trend of increasing inhibition of 4 species of bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, and staphylococcus haemolyticus), that belong to gram positive strain as the Argan oil was getting more concentrated.