Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of the ethyl acetate extract of <i style="">Enicostemma axillare</i> (Lam). Raynal against CCl₄-induced liver injury in rats

Abstract

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<i>Enicostemma axillare</i> is used in Indian traditional medicine as a liver tonic. Its ethyl acetate extract has shown potent <i>in vitro</i> antioxidant activity and found to contain 7.26% of a bitter secoiridoid glycoside, swertiamarin. Hence, in the present study the ethyl acetate extract was screened for hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties against CCl₄ induced hepatic injury in rats. The hepatoprotection was assessed in terms of reduction in histological damage and changes in serum enzymes and metabolites. The pretreatment with the extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses given orally for eight days prior to CCl₄ caused significant restoration of altered biochemical changes due to CCl₄ towards the normal in serum, liver and kidney. The extract treatment at 200 mg/kg body weight was found to be more potent than the standard silymarin at 100 mg/kg body weight in reversing most of the biochemical parameters. Histopathological studies complemented the results of biochemical estimations in providing a proof of hepatoprotective and antioxidant actions of the extract. The study provides a support to the ethnomedical use of <i>E. axillare</i> in India.</smarttagtype></smarttagtype>