EVALUATION OF HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PELLIONIA HEYNEANA WEDD LEAF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of Pellionia heyneana Wedd. leaf ethanolic extract. Methods: The antioxidant potential of the extract was studied by DPPH and Nitric oxide radical scavenging activity. The total antioxidant activity of the extract was also studied by phosphomolybdenum method. The hepatoprotective activity of the extract was evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage in Wistar albino rats. Results: P. heyneana extract showed maximum inhibition of DPPH free radical scavenging activity (65.94%) at 200 µg/ml. Total antioxidant capacity of the plant extract was found to be equivalent to 31.72 µg of ascorbic acid/mg of the extract and the EC50 value of nitric oxide scavenging activity was 64.30 µg/ml. The elevated serum levels of hepatic markers as a result of CCl4 administration were restored towards normalization significantly by the P. heyneana leaf ethanolic extract doses of 100, 200 and 300mg/kg b. w., p. o. The elevated levels of MDA, decreased levels of GSH and CAT were restored significantly by the plant extract in a dose dependent manner. All the biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examinations of liver samples. The results are comparable with the known hepatoprotective agent, silymarin. Conclusion: The present study shows that ethanolic extract of P. heyneana leaf has potential antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity against CCl4 induced rat model.