HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF FICUS CARICA LINN. LEAF EXTRACT AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

The methanol extract of the leaves of Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) was evaluated for hepatoprotective activity in rats with liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride. The extract at an oral dose of 500 mg/kg exhibited a significant protective effect by lowering the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total serum bilirubin, and malondialdehyde equivalent, an index of lipid peroxidation of the liver. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver sections. The activity of extract was also comparable to that of silymarin, a known hepatoprotective.