Protective effect of vitamin C against ethanol induced oxidative stress in Wistar rats

Abstract

Inflammation is a natural immune response to harmful agents. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of vitamin C against alcohol-induced toxicity on hematological inflammatory markers. Forty healthy adult male Wistar rats were acclimatized and divided into eight groups. Group A served as the control, while Group B received alcohol. Groups C, D, and E were given varying doses of vitamin C, and Groups F, G, and H received alcohol followed by vitamin C treatments. After twenty-one days, blood samples were collected and analyzed for various markers. Rats receiving alcohol only showed increased white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), along with decreased antioxidant enzyme activity. However, rats receiving vitamin C alone or in combination with alcohol exhibited reduced inflammatory markers and increased antioxidant activity compared to the alcohol-only group. The study demonstrated that commercial-grade vitamin C at doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg effectively reduced chronic low-grade inflammation. Overall, the findings suggest that vitamin C supplementation may mitigate the inflammatory effects of alcohol consumption.