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Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease is increasing in adults and children worldwide. Obesity, insulin resistance or diabetes type II, hyperlipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia plays a major role in the epidemiology of this disease. Cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) the major intermediate filament protein in the liver is a marker of increased hepatocyte apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determinate CK-18 level as a marker of hepatocyte apoptosis and paraoxonase as a biochemical marker for lipid peroxidation.

Methods: This case–control study was done on 51 subjects with confirmed NAFLD by ultrasound and 30 healthy individuals. CK-18 is proposed as a biomarker alternative cell death. The serum was used for measurement of the apoptosis-associated neo-epitope in the C-terminal domain of CK-18 by the M30-Apoptosense ELISA kit. The M30 detection antibody recognizes a neo-epitope mapped to positions 387 to 396 of CK18, so called CK18-Asp396 that is only revealed after caspase cleavage of the protein and is postulated as a selective biomarker of apoptosis. Serum PON1 activity was assayed using a synthetic substrate. Paraoxon substrate (diethyl-p nitrophenylphosphate), was deliberated using the increase of absorbance at 412 nm at 37 ◦C. 

Results: There were significant differences regarding serum cytokeratin 18 (p=0.005), paraoxonase activity (p=0.03), triglycerides (p=0.04) and low-density lipoprotein (p=0.04) between NAFLD and healthy subjects. Between CK-18 and paraoxonase with the early stages of fatty liver disease are associated.

Conclusion: This study suggests that serum levels of cytokeratin 18 can be useful in predicting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Paraoxonase activity (PON1) should be considered a biochemical marker of lipid peroxidation and the need for follow-up in patients with NAFLD

Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), Cytokeratin 18 (CK-18), Paraoxonases

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Background: Thymus species have significant amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and demonstrate strong antioxidant activities. Paraoxonase1 act as antioxidant enzyme and protect the low-density lipoprotein against oxidation. In our study we aimed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of Thymus Kotschyanus Hydroalcoholic extract and its effect on serum paraoxonase 1 activity in healthy and diabetic person.
Methods: The antioxidant activity, and functional groups of the constituents in T. Kotschyanus Hydroalcoholic extract were determined using DPPH free radical scavenging assay, and The FTIR spectroscopy, respectively. Paraoxonase-1 activity was determined in 40 healthy and diabetic persons by measuring the rate of paraoxon hydrolysis substrate to p-nitrophenol, which absorbance was monitored at 405 nm. The data Statistically were analyzed by Duncan's and independent t-test.
Results: The IC50 values (the concentration with scavenging activity of 50%) was found to be 477.5 μg/ml. FTIR spectrum analysis showed biomolecules containing a hydroxyl group and aromatic ring in T. Kotschyanus hydroalcoholic extract. Serum paraoxonase activity in healthy and diabetic humans exposed to the extract at concentration of 1 mg/mL increased by 49.95 ± 3.57% and 51.05 ± 3.25%, respectively. Although there was a significant difference between serum enzyme activity in healthy and diabetic subjects in the presence and absence of the extract but the amount of enzyme activation affected by the extract in two healthy and patient did not show significant difference.
Conclusion: This plant extract increased enzyme activity due to the antioxidant properties and the presence of phenolic compounds in the plant extract.