الفهرس 
I. INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Liver can be considered to be the body’s largest gland with a major role in the metabolism, transport and clearance of xenobiotics. Therefore, it is highly vulnerable to chemical-induced toxicity. Environmental and life style circumstances and pre-existing pathological conditions determine the sensitivity of individuals to chemical-induced liver injury.
The pathophysiological mechanisms of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity are related to the metabolic conversion of xenobiotics into reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress and damage the cellular macromolecules (Cahova et al., 2015 and Liu et al., 2016).
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a colourless, volatile liquid hallo alkane (Alkreathy et al., 2014). It has been used for its solvent properties as dry cleaning solvent, degreaser in industry, applicable as a refrigerant and fire extinguishers and propellant for aerosol cans (Bahashwan et al., 2015 and Hassanein et al., 2016). Prolonged large-scale use of CCl4has caused significant environmental soil and ground water contamination. General population may be exposed to low level of CCl4 through inhalation from the atmospheric environment and through ingestion of contaminated public water (Penny et al., 2015). Due to its hazardous effects on human health (Jin et al., 2015 and Amer et al., 2015), CCl4 has the greatest concern as an environmental contaminant.
Recently, CCl4 has been recognized as a key factor in the pathophysiological changes reported in a wide range of liver diseases, such as subclinical hepatitis without jaundice, inflammatory necrotic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis (Zhaoet al., 2014 and Moreira et al., 2015 and Zhang et al., 2016).Understanding the role of oxidative stress in these liver disorders may lead to the suitable use of antioxidants as a therapeutic approach for liver diseases.
Natural antioxidant products, especially phytochemicals, have achieved popularity worldwide because of their efficacy and safety. As reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) about 80% of the world’s population in developing countries depend essentially on plants for their primary health care (Boozer et al., 2002). They are widely being used to treat various pathological liver conditions. Today, nearly half of the agents used in liver therapy are either natural products or their derivatives (Zhang et al., 2013).
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lamiaceae) is a woody perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region. However, it is now cultivated all over the world as an ornamental and aromatic plant. The leaves of rosemary are frequently used for flavoring foods as a condiment, but it has also been widely used for different medicinal purposes. In traditional medicine, rosemary has been considered as one of the most effective herbs for treating poor circulation, headaches, inflammatory diseases, and physical and mental fatigue. Rosemary has also been used empirically as a choleretic and hepatoprotective agent (Lucariniet al., 2014; Pinho et al., 2014 andHameed et al., 2015). Its pharmacological effects are due to the high antioxidant activity of its main chemical constituents such as carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid, and caffeic acid. The powerful antioxidant properties of rosemary.