Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of flowers of <i style="">Calotropis procera</i> (Ait) R. Br. in CCl₄ induced hepatic damage

Abstract

Hepatoprotective activity of 70% ethanolic extract of flowers of <i style="">C. procera</i> was studied against CCl₄ induced hepatic injury in albino rats and mice. In addition, antioxidant activity was studied by <i style="">in vitro</i> models. Pre-treatment with 70% ethanolic extract (CPA) reduced the biochemical markers of hepatic injury like serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, cholesterol, HDL and tissue glutathione (GSH) levels. Similarly pretreatment with CPA reduced the CCl₄ induced elevation in the pentobarbitone sleeping time. Histopathological observations also revealed that pretreatment with CPA protected the animals from CCl₄ induced liver damage. CPA demonstrated dose dependant reduction in the <i style="">in vitro</i> and <i style="">in vivo</i> lipid peroxidation induced by CCl₄. In addition it showed dose dependant free radical scavenging activity. The results indicate that flowers of <i style="">C. procera</i> possess hepatoprotective property possibly because of its anti-oxidant activity. This property may be attributed to the quercetin related flavonoids present in the flowers of <i style="">Calotropis procera</i>.