Assessment Of Hepatoprotective Activity Of Barleria Gibsoni And Cleome Gynandra Against Thioacetamide Induced Hepatotoxicity In Experimental Animals

Abstract

Liver is a vital organ that plays a major role in the elimination of xenobiotics from the body. Diseases that affect the liver become major health problems and challenge health-care professionals as well as the pharmaceutical industry. Since the conventional treatment of liver diseases is associated with a wide range of adverse effects, botanical agents are commonly used. Among these agents, barleria species and Cleome gynandra are the most widely used herbs in Indian traditional medicine. In the current research rats were divided in to respective groups of six animals in each and hepatoprotective activity of EECG and EEBG was screened at 200, 400 and 500 mg dosages. Plant extracts were given one day following inducing agent administration and the treatment was proceeded for 21 days. Then, the levels of biomarkers of liver injury – such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) – and liver function such as total protein, albumin, and bilirubin were measured. Evaluation of the change in body weight and liver weight, and histopathologic examination against thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity were also carried out. The ethanolic extract of both plants decreased the absolute and relative weight of the liver of rats at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). It also suppressed the plasma levels of AST, ALT and ALP (p<0.001) in the aforementioned doses. Both palnts were endowed with hepatoprotective activity, probably mediated via its antioxidant activity. Thus, the both plants can be taken as one candidate for the development of hepatoprotective agents because of its good safety profile.