PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THREE LOCALLY USED MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THREE LOCALLY USED MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

ABSTRACT

Drugs from plant and animal sources are increasingly becoming important in the therapeutic management of liver diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the prophylactic and curative effects of methanolic extracts of Balanites aegyptiaca root, Boswellia dalzielii stem bark, Ipomoea asarifolia leaves and their mixture against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Liver damage was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (99.9% CCl4) in olive oil (1:1), on alternate days, over a period of 5 days. The degree of liver damage was determined by assessing changes in hepatic indices such as serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, cholesterol, total and direct bilirubin; pentobarbitone sleeping time; liver weight and histopathology. The mixture (160 mg B. aegyptiaca, 220 mg B. dalzielii and 300 mg/kg I. asarifolia) and each dose of the various extracts 100 mg, 200 mg and 400 mg/kg of B. aegyptiaca, B. dalzielii and I. asarifolia were administered orally once daily for 7 days prior to administration of CCl4 (prophylactic study) and after the administration of CCl4 (curative study). The degree of recovery and/or prevention of liver pathology were estimated by comparing changes in hepatic indices with that of the standard drug, silymarin (100 mg/kg). Oral LD50 of each extract was found to be above 2000 mg/kg (OECD-423). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, sterols, resins and volatile oils in each of the extracts. Pretreatment with each extract significantly (P<0.05) prevented carbon tetrachloride-induced changes in hepatic indices, liver weight and histopathology compared to control. When compared to the positive control (silymarin 100 mg/kg), the protective effect of the extracts was superior and significant (P<0.05) at the doses of 400 mg/kg (B. aegyptiaca), 100 mg/kg (B. dalzielii) and 200 mg/kg (I. asarifolia). In the evaluation of the curative effect of the ix various plant extracts alone (all doses of B. aegyptiaca, 100 mg and 200 mg/kg each of B. dalzielii and I. asarifolia) or in combination (160 mg B. aegyptiaca, 220 mg B. dalzielii and 300 mg/kg I. asarifolia), the extracts significantly (P<0.05) reversed the CCl4 -induced liver pathology as seen in the values of the hepatic indices, liver weight and histopathology. This effect was comparable with that of silymarin. Prophylactic treatment with B. aegyptiaca, B. dalzielii and the mixture produced significant increases in pentobarbitone sleeping time while I. asarifolia decreased the sleeping time when compared to the control. Curative studies revealed a significant (P<0.05) decrease in sleeping time following treatment with all the extracts. These results indicate that methanolic extracts of B. aegyptiaca, B. dalzielii and I. asarifolia are relatively safe orally and possess potent hepatoprotective properties that may be useful in the management of liver diseases.

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