Effect of ethanol extract of Phyllantus niruri leaf on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats

Abstract

The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanol extract of Phyllanthus niruri in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rat was investigated in this study. The rats were divided into 7 groups; group I (normal control) was given distilled water only, group II rats were administered carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in olive oil; (1:1 v/v) 3 mL/kg (i.p) once weekly for 28 days (7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day), while group III, IV and V rats were administered CCl4 as described for group II rats and treated with ethanol extract of P. niruri leaves (200, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight) once daily from the 7th to 28th day. Group VI rats were given 500mg/kg body weight of the extract only. Fasting blood serum samples and homogenates of livers from the rats were analysed for selected biochemical parameters. Carbon tetrachloride caused increases in serum alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), It also caused increases in liver total cholesterol, triglyceride, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Carbon tetrachloride also caused significant reductions in serum total protein, albumin, bilirubin as well as liver superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. The plant extract was able to attenuate all the biochemical parameters to levels comparable to those of the control group. In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that the ethanol leaf extract of P. niruri possesses hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties.