The effects of evening primrose oil on lipid peroxidation induced by subacute aflatoxin exposure in mice

The present study was aimed at the investigation of the antioxidative effect of evening primrose oil in cases of subacute aflatoxin (AF) intoxication induced in mice. For this purpose, forty-eight 6–8-week-old male BALB/c mice, weighing 30–35 g, were used. The animals were allocated to four groups, each comprising of 12 mice, such that one group was maintained as the control group and the other three constituted the trial groups. The mice included in the control group (Group 1) were not subjected to any treatment. Group 2 was administered with 1.5 ml/kg bw/day of evening primrose oil; Group 3 received 1250 μg/kg bw/day of AF (82.45% AFB1, 10.65% AFB2, 4.13% AFG1 and 2.77% AFG2) and Group 4 was given 1250 μg/kg bw/day of AF plus 1.5 ml/kg bw/day of evening primrose oil using a catheter, for a period of 14 days. At the end of the 14th day, the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, heart and spleen of the animals included in all groups were extracted. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidise (GSH-Px) activities were measured in tissue homogenates. In result, it was concluded that, evening primrose oil had a positive effect on aflatoxin-induced lipid peroxidation.