Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extract can improve the levels of some trace elements and total homocysteine and prevent oxidative damage induced by ethanol in rat eye

OBJECTIVE: Acute and chronic ethanol consumption cause oxidative stress and ginger improves suchconditions. In this study, the protective effects of ginger were studied on indices of oxidative stress, total homocysteinelevel and the level of the some of the oxidative stress-associated trace elements against toxicity induced by ethanol in rat eye. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into four groups and treated daily for 28 days as follows: group I: control;group II: ginger (1g/kg/day ginger extract by oral gavage); group III: ethanol (4g/kg/day ethanol by oral gavage) and group IV: ginger+ethanol. At the end of the experimental period, eye tissue sera were used for determination of different parameters. Furthermore, in vitro antioxidant potential and total phenol content of ginger extract were determined. RESULTS: In ethanol group, significant changes in oxidative stress markers and levels of homocysteine and some trace elements, compared to other groups, were observed (p<0.05 for all cases). However,these parameters significantly ameliorated with pretreatment with ginger in ginger+ethanol group (p<0.05 for all cases), and had no significant differencesinthese parameters betweenginger and control group were found. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that ginger extract has protective effects against toxicity induced by ethanol in the eye of male rat.