Effect of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) seed extract against paracetamol hepatotoxicity in mice

Abstract

Oktiari Y, Widjokongko SB, Wijayanti L. 2010. Effect of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) seed extract against paracetamol hepatotoxicity in mice. Biofarmasi 8: 52-57. Cocoa bean (Theobroma cacao) contains flavonoids, an antioxidant that can reduce oxidant from the process of metabolism of paracetamol. This metabolism creates NAPQI. This study explained the effect of cocoa bean extract to reduce the liver histologic disruption of mice (Mus musculus) that treated by paracetamol. This study was a laboratory experimental research with a post-test only controlled group design. The samples used in this research included forty male mice, Swiss Webster type, 2-3 months in age and ±20 g body weight. The samples divided into 4 groups, each group consisted of ten mice. Mice for the control group (K) were not given with paracetamol and the cocoa bean extract, but they were given only with aquadest of 0.2 mL/20 g body weight of mice for 17 days serially. The first treatment group (P1) was given with paracetamol with a dose of 0.1 mL/20 g body weight of mice on the day 15, 16 and 17. The second treatment group (P2) was given with a dose of cocoa bean extract I consisted of 0.02 mL/20 g body weight of mice for 17 days serially and also paracetamol in a dose of 0.1 mL/20 g body weight of mice at day 15, 16 and 17. The third treatment group (P3) was given a dose of extract II consisted of 0.04 mL/20 g body weight of mice for 17 days serially and paracetamol in a dose of 0.1 mL/20 g body weight of mice on day 15, 16 and 17. On the 18th day, mice were sacrificed by the neck dislocation. After that, the liver slides were prepared by stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE). The ANOVA One-Way results showed that there were significant differences between the four groups. The results of the LSD method showed that there were significant differences between K-P1, K-P2, K-P3 and P1-P2 groups, but there was no a significant difference between K-P3 and P2-P3 groups. Cocoa extract can reduce the histologic disruption of mice that given a toxic by paracetamol.