THE HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTIFIBROTIC POTENTIAL OF ROOT EXTRACT OF ALOCASIA INDICA LINN. AGAINST CCL4 INDUCED HEPATIC INJURY AND FIBROSIS IN WISTAR RATS.

Abstract

The hepatoprotective activity of hydro-alcohol extract of roots of Alocasia indica Linn. (AI-E) was evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. The AI-E at dose of 400 mg/kg is administered orally once daily for fourteen days. The substantially elevated serum enzymatic levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (AST), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total lipoprotein (TP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), albumin (ALB), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), hyaluronic acid (HA)  and liver index were restored towards normalization significantly by the AI-E at dose of 400 mg/kg. AI-E 400mg/kg dose exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. The results of this study strongly indicate that roots of Alocasia indica have potent hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic damage in experimental animals. This study suggests that possible mechanism of this activity may be due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolics compound in the AI-E which may be responsible to hepatoprotective activity.