ABSTRACT

Because humans commonly consume chokeberry, especially as a nutritional supplement, it must be checked to determine whether its excessive ingestion can cause adverse effects, in particular, in the case of simultaneous exposure to some xenobiotics. From this point of view, we examined the impact of long-term cotreatment of rats with chokeberry juice and hepatic carcinogen N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) on oxidative damages and neoplastic lesions in the liver of rats. Daily exposure to chokeberry juice in a concentration of 10 g/kg feed via diet for 13 wk led to an intensified hepatotoxic effect of NDEA (0.01% in drinking water for 13 wk), as evidenced by changes in histopathological architecture of liver tissue, increased lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl formation, and DNA degradation. Moreover, we noticed an increase in relative liver weight and a decrease in body weight in this group in comparison to NDEA-alone treated animals. Chokeberry juice applied alone did not cause any adverse effects in rats. On the basis of these findings, it can be concluded that high doses and longterm administration of chokeberry juice may enhance tumor-promoting action of some chemical carcinogens.