Effects of Pongamia pinnata on Lipid Peroxidation Products and Antioxidants in Hyperammonemic Rats: with Reference to Circadian Variations

Effects of Pongamia pinnata, an indigenous plant used in Ayurvedic Medicine in India on the temporal variations of circulatory lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in ammonium chloride-(AC)-induced hyperammonemic rats has been studied. Experimental rats were divided into control, AC-treated, those treated with AC + ethanolic leaf extract of P. pinnata (PPEt), and PPEt-treated. The characteristics of 24 h rhythms (acrophase, amplitude and mesor) of lipid peroxidation products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances – TBARS) and antioxidants (reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)) were analyzed. Elevated lipid peroxidation (increased mesor of TBARS) associated with decreased activities of antioxidants (decreased mesor of GPx, GSH, SOD and CAT) were found in hyperammonemic rats. Differences in amplitude and ‘r’ values were also found between the hyperammonemic rats and other experimental groups. These alterations clearly indicate that temporal redox status could be modulated by PPEt during hyperammonemic conditions, which may also play a crucial role in disease development.