EVALUATION OF HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Avicennia alba (BLUME) ON PARACETAMOL INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

Abstract

Objective: To study the hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic extracts of Avicennia alba leaves against paracetamol induced liver damage in rats. Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced by paracetamol and the biochemical parameters such as serum aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (SB) and the antioxidant such as Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione (GSH), Vitamin-C & E and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were recorded and histopathological changes in liver were studied along with silymarin as standard hepatoprotective agents. Results: The phytochemical investigation of the extracts showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, proteins and steroids. Treatment with herbal extract to paracetamol administered rats caused a significant reduction in the values of AST, ALP, ALT and total bilirubin (P < 0.05) almost comparable to silymarin. The hepatoprotective was confirmed by histopathological examination of the liver tissue of control and treated animals. Conclusion: From the results it can be concluded that A.alba leaves possesses hepatoprotective effect against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats.