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

Abstract Sesame oil has been exhibited to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant influences. The goal of this experiment was to look into sesame oil's hepato-protective properties and underlying processes in valproic acid-induced hepatotoxicity. Molecular docking was carried out to clarify the functional and structural underlying mechanism of sesame oil ameliorative effect. Mice were given 8 ml/kg/day of sesame oil (orally) and 100 mg/kg/day of valproic acid (i.p.) for 21 days. The results revealed that valproic acid caused a considerable increase in hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels while decreasing the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme. There was also a significant rise in serum levels of interleukines 1β & 6 (IL-1β & IL-6) and a significant decrease in hepatic (PXR) gene expression level. Sesame oil co-administration with valproic acid 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 sesame oil attenuated valproic acid induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Hence, it was recommended as a dietary supplement for protection against valproic acid induced hepatotoxicity.