Oxidative damage induced by retching; antiemetic and neuroprotective role of Sambucus ebulus L.

Nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms in different diseases. Medicinal plants are considered as a reliable source of new drugs to control these symptoms. In this study, we evaluated the antiemetic and neuroprotective effects of the methanolic extract of Sambucus ebulus L. fruit and relationship between emesis (retching) and oxidative stress biomarkers in the mitochondria brain of young chickens. Emesis was induced by ipecac and copper sulphate (60 and 600 mg/kg, orally), respectively, and the methanolic extracts (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). The extract showed a significant antiemetic activity against ipecac and copper sulphate-induced emesis at all doses (p < 0.001; percentages of retching inhibition 46, 96.5 and 83 % against ipecac and 73, 79.5 and 69.2 % against copper sulphate, respectively). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) at all doses of extract in retching induced by copper sulphate, and catalase (CAT) activity significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the extract (50 mg/kg) and metoclopromide groups in retching induced by ipecac in the chickens’ brain mitochondria. Protein carbonyl (PC) contents significantly (p < 0.05) decreased only in extract (100 mg/kg) group in retching induced by ipecac. Mitochondria function (MTT assay) significantly increased by extract (100 mg/kg) as compared to control group in retching induced by ipecac. The results of this study suggests that the extract has protective effects, possibly by central and peripheral mechanisms, and neuroprotective effect by increasing plasma antioxidants or scavenging of free radicals induced by retching. It seems that extract could prevent protein modification and improve oxidative stress in the early stages.