Sesame oil ameliorates valproic acid-induced hepatotoxicity in mice: integrated in vivo-in silico study

Sesame oil (SO) has been exhibited to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant influences. The goal of this experiment was to look into SO's hepato-protective properties and underlying processes in valproic acid (VPA)-induced hepatotoxicity. Molecular docking was carried out to clarify the functional and structural underlying mechanism of SO ameliorative effect. Mice were given 8 mL/kg/day of SO (orally) and 100 mg/kg/day of VPA (i.p.) for 21 days. The results revealed that VPA caused a considerable increase in hepatic malondialdehyde levels while decreasing the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme. There was also a significant rise in serum levels of interleukins 1β and 6 (IL-1β and IL-6) and a significant decrease in hepatic (PXR) gene expression level. SO co-administration with VPA significantly normalized the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status and upregulated the gene expression level of PXR. In silico docking analysis results confirmed these results. This study concluded that supplementation of SO attenuated VPA-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Hence, it was recommended as a dietary supplement for protection against VPA-induced hepatotoxicity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.