Antioxidative and Free Radical Scavenging Properties of Piper Cubeba (Piperaceae) In Mercury Intoxicated Mice, Mus Musculus

This experimental study was carried out to evaluate the protective potential of Piper cubeba in mercury induced changes in Hepatic antioxidant activities after short-term dose of the heavy metal in mice. Twenty four, two month old male mice were divided equally and randomly into four groups viz., I, II, III and IV.  Group I served as control.  Group II and III were oral dosed on mercury chloride at sub lethal dose (5mg of HgCl2/ Kg body weight of animal) on every day for4 7 days respectively. After 7th day the group III animals alone again fed with the methanolic extract of Piper cubeba fruits at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight for another 7 days.  There was significant decrease in protein metabolism, catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in group II animals, simultaneously an increased in the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was also recorded in group II animals.  Group IV animals did not show any significant alteration in protein metabolism and antioxidant properties of the animal.  The mercury intoxicated mice again treated with methanolic extract of P. cubeba restoring the liver to reorganize its protein metabolism and antioxidant properties to near normal level/ a little over untreated control.  The result suggested that medication of P. cubeba nullify the mercury toxicity in mice.